George W. McBride
Encyclopedia
George Wycliffe McBride (March 13, 1854 June 18, 1911) was a politician and businessman from the U.S. state of Oregon
. An Oregon native, he served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly
as Speaker of the House and as Oregon Secretary of State
for two terms before election as United States Senator
from Oregon. A Republican, he was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. His father and two of his brothers were also politicians.
, in Yamhill County, Oregon
. His father was James McBride
, a physician from Tennessee
and Missouri
, and his mother the former Mahala Miller. George was one of fourteen children in the family that included brother John Rogers, who was a U.S. Representative
from Oregon, and Thomas
who served on the Oregon Supreme Court
from 1909 to 1930.
George attended the local public schools before enrolling in the preparatory department of Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
. After one year at Willamette he enrolled at Monmouth Christian College (now Western Oregon University
) in Monmouth, Oregon
, where he spent two years. McBride then studied law and was admitted to the bar
, but never practiced. He moved to St. Helens
where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for nine years.
in 1882 to serve Columbia County
. Elected as a Republican, he was selected by fellow legislators to serve as Speaker of the House. After his lone session in the legislative assembly, he was elected as the Oregon Secretary of State
in 1886 to a four-year term and re-elected in 1890 to a second term. He was in office from January 10, 1887 until January 14, 1895, when Harrison R. Kincaid took office.
On February 23, 1895, the Oregon Legislative Assembly
selected McBride to serve in the United States Senate
. Elected as a Republican
, he served one term in office from March 4, 1895 to March 4, 1901. In the Senate he was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
during the Fifty-fourth Congress
, though the committee may never have met during his tenure, and also a member of the Committee on Coast Defenses during both Fifty-fifth
and Fifty-sixth
Congresses. He was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1900.
of 1904. After politics he was engaged as an agent of the Western Pacific Railroad
in California. On May 24, 1902, in New York City he married Laura W. Walter with whom he had one daughter. In 1911 McBride died in Portland, Oregon
, at the age of 57. His remains were cremated and the ashes interred in the Masonic Cemetery in St. Helens
.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. An Oregon native, he served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
as Speaker of the House and as Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
for two terms before election as United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Oregon. A Republican, he was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. His father and two of his brothers were also politicians.
Early life
George McBride was born on March 13, 1854, near LafayetteLafayette, Oregon
Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878...
, in Yamhill County, Oregon
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
. His father was James McBride
James McBride (politician)
James McBride was an American politician, educator, and patriarch of a political family in the state of Oregon. A native of Tennessee, he served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature and as United States Minister to Hawaii, as well as one of the founders of the Oregon Republican Party...
, a physician from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and his mother the former Mahala Miller. George was one of fourteen children in the family that included brother John Rogers, who was a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Oregon, and Thomas
Thomas A. McBride
Thomas Allen McBride was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. He was the 20th Chief Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court serving three times as chief between 1913 and 1927...
who served on the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
from 1909 to 1930.
George attended the local public schools before enrolling in the preparatory department of Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. After one year at Willamette he enrolled at Monmouth Christian College (now Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University is a public liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Oregon, United States. It was originally established in 1856 by Oregon pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names include Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education, and Western Oregon State College...
) in Monmouth, Oregon
Monmouth, Oregon
- History :Monmouth was settled in 1853 by a group of pioneers who made a point of allocating to build both a city and a "college under the auspices of the Christian Church" and proceeds from the sale of these lands were used to found Monmouth University. By the early 1880s the college fell on...
, where he spent two years. McBride then studied law and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
, but never practiced. He moved to St. Helens
St. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845 as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens some away in Washington. The population was 10,019 at...
where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for nine years.
Politics
McBride was elected to the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
in 1882 to serve Columbia County
Columbia County, Oregon
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for the Columbia River, which forms its eastern and northern borders. As of 2010, its population was 49,351. The county seat is St. Helens.-Economy:...
. Elected as a Republican, he was selected by fellow legislators to serve as Speaker of the House. After his lone session in the legislative assembly, he was elected as the Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
in 1886 to a four-year term and re-elected in 1890 to a second term. He was in office from January 10, 1887 until January 14, 1895, when Harrison R. Kincaid took office.
On February 23, 1895, the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
selected McBride to serve in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, he served one term in office from March 4, 1895 to March 4, 1901. In the Senate he was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
The United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard, was a Senate committee, initially authorized by Senate resolution as a select committee on December 16, 1872...
during the Fifty-fourth Congress
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
, though the committee may never have met during his tenure, and also a member of the Committee on Coast Defenses during both Fifty-fifth
55th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:* Republican: 206 * Democratic: 124* Populist: 22* Silver Republican: 3* Silver: 1* Independent Republican: 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Garret Hobart * President pro tempore: William P...
and Fifty-sixth
56th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...
Congresses. He was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1900.
Later life
McBride was appointed as a United States commissioner to the St. Louis ExpositionLouisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
of 1904. After politics he was engaged as an agent of the Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
in California. On May 24, 1902, in New York City he married Laura W. Walter with whom he had one daughter. In 1911 McBride died in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, at the age of 57. His remains were cremated and the ashes interred in the Masonic Cemetery in St. Helens
St. Helens, Oregon
St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England, in 1845 as "Plymouth". The name was changed to St. Helens in the latter part of 1850 for its view of Mount St. Helens some away in Washington. The population was 10,019 at...
.
External links
- Picture of McBride