Harry N. Routzohn
Encyclopedia
Harry Nelson Routzohn was an attorney, jurist
and member of the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio
.
Harry N. Routzohn was born in Dayton, Ohio
, the son of Henry and Mary Routzohn. Henry was a teamster man from Maryland. Harry Routzohn attended the Dayton public grade schools. He apprenticed one year at the blacksmith
trade and then became a court page in Court of Common Pleas
of Montgomery County, Ohio
. About 1902, Harry Nelson Routzohn married Laura Eleanor Poock; they had four children. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1904, hanging out his shingle in Dayton.
In 1902, Harry Routzohn was one of the founders of the Humane Society
of Dayton, the second oldest humane organization in Ohio and one of the oldest in the nation. He served on the governing board with Byron B. Harlan
and other prominent Daytonians.
Harry Routzohn became assistant county prosecutor
of Montgomery County in 1906 serving for three years. In 1917, he became a probate
judge
, in which position he served for twelve years until 1929. While on the court, he taught law at the University of Dayton
from 1923 to 1930. Routzohn was a captain in the Officers’ Reserve Corps from 1925 to 1935.
He was a delegate
to the Republican National Convention
s in 1928 and 1932. In 1928, he broke with the Ohio delegation, which announced prior to the convention its intention to support favorite son
Senator Frank B. Willis
of Ohio. Routzohn announced that he would start a movement in behalf of Herbert Hoover
in the Third Ohio District on the grounds that the State Committee usurped authority in endorsing Willis to the exclusion of all others. In 1930, he was appointed assistant United States district attorney by President Hoover and served until the election of Roosevelt
in 1932.
After 1932, he returned to private practice, and became associate counsel of the Brotherhood of Carpenters
, of the American Federation of Labor
(AFL).
In 1938, he was elected as a Republican
from Ohio’s third congressional district to the Seventy-sixth Congress. He was aligned closely with the isolationist
, conservative
wing of the Republican party and was a reliable vote against New Deal
legislation. He voted against lifting the arms embargo of the Neutrality Act even as the outbreak of hostilities in Europe neared in the summer of 1939 and against the Selective Service Act
in 1940. He voted against the Townsend Old Age Pension Bill and voted for the Hatch Act of 1939
to restrict participation of government employees in political activities.
Routzohn gained the most notoriety of his congressional service in the last year of his term. Since 1935, the AFL had charged that the National Labor Relations Board
was pro-CIO
and the CIO had protested decisions favorable to the AFL. The criticisms of the Board by business and labor came to a head during a series of hearings, ostensibly to shape amendments to the Wagner Act
, conducted by Representative Howard W. Smith
from December 1939 to December 1940. Smith, a leader of the conservative bloc of the Democratic party, charged the NLRB with a pro-union bias. He also claimed the agency was dominated by left-wingers
and had been infiltrated by Communists. Harry N. Routzohn’s selection to the committee was seen as holding the balance of the five-man committee and as an unknown quantity, since as a congressional freshman he had no voting record on labor legislation. On the one hand his sympathies clearly lay with labor because of his long service as AFL counsel, and so was thought unlikely to support amendments that would weaken the protection of unionization of the Wagner Act. On the other hand, he had shown little sympathy with the Roosevelt administration's method of dealing with labor problems and, as a former AFL attorney, he was likely to probe charges of CIO favoritism on the part of the board.
The hearings generated headlines every time they were convened. Future NLRB Judge Fannie M. Boyls, a 1929 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, was one of several female Review Section attorneys called to testify before the Smith Committee by its general counsel, Edmund M. Toland. Toland’s intense dislike of the NLRB was displayed in his examination: Toland shouted at them. Representative Routzohn asked them personally insulting questions. Congressman Clare Eugene Hoffman of Michigan
ridiculed them on the floor of the House—not the last time such attitudes would be exhibited in Congress:
In August 1940, the Hon. Harry N. Routzohn was one of the speakers at the dedication of Wilbur and Orville Wright
Memorial at Dayton. He was defeated for a second term in November 1940. After his service in Congress, he again resumed the practice of law in Dayton. He was President of the Dayton Bar Association for one term, 1941-42.
In 1944, Routzohn backed efforts to put a labor leader on the Republican ticket
for Vice President to "win labor back to the party." Routzohn headed a special committee that decided to place William L. Hutcheson
, president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and a vice president of the AFL, in nomination at the convention. Asserting that the selection of Mr. Hutcheson would refute the "smear" that the Republican party was anti-labor, Routzohn said Hutcheson would carry the "rank and file" of the labor vote with him for the Republicans and that leaders of the AFL would give their support, that contractors and employers who have dealt with Hutcheson's union would endorse the selection, and that support also would be forthcoming from farm leaders and rural organizations. "The choice of Mr. Hutcheson would offset New Deal influence in labor States. It would also furnish a Vice Presidential candidate from the Middle West," said Routzohn. However, the nomination went to Sen. John W. Bricker
of Ohio.
May 3, 1953, President Eisenhower
appointed Harry N. Routzohn Solicitor
for the Department of Labor
, Washington, D.C.
Known as a friend of conservative Robert A. Taft, he was expected to be a counterweight to Labor Secretary
Martin Patrick Durkin
, a Democrat
and union official, and the only member of Eisenhower’s cabinet
who did not support Eisenhower’s election. Routzohn was quickly confirmed on March 5 and served from March 6, 1953.
Harry Routzohn had been the Labor Department's chief legal officer
for a month when he suffered an attack and was taken to George Washington University
Hospital where he died five days later of a heart ailment. Harry Nelson Routzohn was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and member of the United States House of Representatives
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 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Harry N. Routzohn was born in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, the son of Henry and Mary Routzohn. Henry was a teamster man from Maryland. Harry Routzohn attended the Dayton public grade schools. He apprenticed one year at the blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
trade and then became a court page in Court of Common Pleas
Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the state court system of Ohio.The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution . The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section...
of Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...
. About 1902, Harry Nelson Routzohn married Laura Eleanor Poock; they had four children. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1904, hanging out his shingle in Dayton.
In 1902, Harry Routzohn was one of the founders of the Humane Society
Humane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
of Dayton, the second oldest humane organization in Ohio and one of the oldest in the nation. He served on the governing board with Byron B. Harlan
Byron B. Harlan
Byron Berry Harlan was an attorney, prosecutor, jurist and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio....
and other prominent Daytonians.
Harry Routzohn became assistant county prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
of Montgomery County in 1906 serving for three years. In 1917, he became a probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, in which position he served for twelve years until 1929. While on the court, he taught law at the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
from 1923 to 1930. Routzohn was a captain in the Officers’ Reserve Corps from 1925 to 1935.
He was a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
s in 1928 and 1932. In 1928, he broke with the Ohio delegation, which announced prior to the convention its intention to support favorite son
Favorite son
A favorite son is a political term.*At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates and votes for a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a viable candidate...
Senator Frank B. Willis
Frank B. Willis
Frank Bartlett Willis was a Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th Governor of Ohio.-Biography:...
of Ohio. Routzohn announced that he would start a movement in behalf of Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
in the Third Ohio District on the grounds that the State Committee usurped authority in endorsing Willis to the exclusion of all others. In 1930, he was appointed assistant United States district attorney by President Hoover and served until the election of Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in 1932.
After 1932, he returned to private practice, and became associate counsel of the Brotherhood of Carpenters
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America is one of the largest building trades union in the United States. One of the unions that formed the American Federation of Labor in 1886, it left the AFL-CIO in 2001.-Early years:...
, of the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
(AFL).
In 1938, he was 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...
from Ohio’s third congressional district to the Seventy-sixth Congress. He was aligned closely with the isolationist
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
, conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
wing of the Republican party and was a reliable vote against New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
legislation. He voted against lifting the arms embargo of the Neutrality Act even as the outbreak of hostilities in Europe neared in the summer of 1939 and against the Selective Service Act
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act, was passed by the Congress of the United States on September 17, 1940, becoming the first peacetime conscription in United States history when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law two days later...
in 1940. He voted against the Townsend Old Age Pension Bill and voted for the Hatch Act of 1939
Hatch Act of 1939
The Hatch Act of 1939 is a United States federal law whose main provision is to prohibit federal employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the President and the Vice President, from engaging in partisan political activity...
to restrict participation of government employees in political activities.
Routzohn gained the most notoriety of his congressional service in the last year of his term. Since 1935, the AFL had charged that the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
was pro-CIO
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
and the CIO had protested decisions favorable to the AFL. The criticisms of the Board by business and labor came to a head during a series of hearings, ostensibly to shape amendments to the Wagner Act
National Labor Relations Act
The National Labor Relations Act or Wagner Act , is a 1935 United States federal law that limits the means with which employers may react to workers in the private sector who create labor unions , engage in collective bargaining, and take part in strikes and other forms of concerted activity in...
, conducted by Representative Howard W. Smith
Howard W. Smith
Howard Worth Smith , Democratic U.S. Representative from Virginia, was a leader of the conservative coalition who supported both racial segregation and women's rights.-Early life and education:...
from December 1939 to December 1940. Smith, a leader of the conservative bloc of the Democratic party, charged the NLRB with a pro-union bias. He also claimed the agency was dominated by left-wingers
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
and had been infiltrated by Communists. Harry N. Routzohn’s selection to the committee was seen as holding the balance of the five-man committee and as an unknown quantity, since as a congressional freshman he had no voting record on labor legislation. On the one hand his sympathies clearly lay with labor because of his long service as AFL counsel, and so was thought unlikely to support amendments that would weaken the protection of unionization of the Wagner Act. On the other hand, he had shown little sympathy with the Roosevelt administration's method of dealing with labor problems and, as a former AFL attorney, he was likely to probe charges of CIO favoritism on the part of the board.
The hearings generated headlines every time they were convened. Future NLRB Judge Fannie M. Boyls, a 1929 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, was one of several female Review Section attorneys called to testify before the Smith Committee by its general counsel, Edmund M. Toland. Toland’s intense dislike of the NLRB was displayed in his examination: Toland shouted at them. Representative Routzohn asked them personally insulting questions. Congressman Clare Eugene Hoffman of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
ridiculed them on the floor of the House—not the last time such attitudes would be exhibited in Congress:
- "Those girls who are acting as reviewing attorneys for the Board are fine young ladies. . . . but the chances are 99 out of 100 that none of them ever changed a diaper, hung a washing, or baked a loaf of bread. None of them has had any judicial or industrial experience to qualify her for the job they are trying to do, and yet here they are — after all — good looking, intelligent appearing as they may be, and well groomed all of them, writing the opinions on which the jobs of hundreds of thousands of men depend and upon which the success or failure of an industrial enterprise may depend and we stand for it."
In August 1940, the Hon. Harry N. Routzohn was one of the speakers at the dedication of Wilbur and Orville Wright
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
Memorial at Dayton. He was defeated for a second term in November 1940. After his service in Congress, he again resumed the practice of law in Dayton. He was President of the Dayton Bar Association for one term, 1941-42.
In 1944, Routzohn backed efforts to put a labor leader on the Republican ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
for Vice President to "win labor back to the party." Routzohn headed a special committee that decided to place William L. Hutcheson
William Hutcheson
William Hutcheson was the leader of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America from 1915 until 1952. A conservative craft unionist, he opposed the organization of workers in mass production industries such as steel and automobile manufacturing into industrial unions...
, president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and a vice president of the AFL, in nomination at the convention. Asserting that the selection of Mr. Hutcheson would refute the "smear" that the Republican party was anti-labor, Routzohn said Hutcheson would carry the "rank and file" of the labor vote with him for the Republicans and that leaders of the AFL would give their support, that contractors and employers who have dealt with Hutcheson's union would endorse the selection, and that support also would be forthcoming from farm leaders and rural organizations. "The choice of Mr. Hutcheson would offset New Deal influence in labor States. It would also furnish a Vice Presidential candidate from the Middle West," said Routzohn. However, the nomination went to Sen. John W. Bricker
John W. Bricker
John William Bricker was a United States Senator and the 54th Governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, he was the Republican nominee for Vice President in 1944.-Early life:...
of Ohio.
May 3, 1953, President Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
appointed Harry N. Routzohn Solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
for the Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Known as a friend of conservative Robert A. Taft, he was expected to be a counterweight to Labor Secretary
United States Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
Martin Patrick Durkin
Martin Patrick Durkin
Martin Patrick Durkin was a U.S. administrator. He served as Secretary of Labor from January 21, 1953 to September 10, 1953, where he was the "plumber" of President Dwight Eisenhower's "Nine Millionaires and a Plumber" cabinet.He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and died in Washington D.C.-External...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and union official, and the only member of Eisenhower’s cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
who did not support Eisenhower’s election. Routzohn was quickly confirmed on March 5 and served from March 6, 1953.
Harry Routzohn had been the Labor Department's chief legal officer
Chief Legal Officer
A chief legal officer is the highest-ranking corporate officer concerning legal affairs of a corporation or agency. Chief legal officers typically hold the title of general counsel.- Skill requirements :...
for a month when he suffered an attack and was taken to George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Hospital where he died five days later of a heart ailment. Harry Nelson Routzohn was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.