Henry B. Steagall
Encyclopedia
Henry Bascom Steagall was a United States Representative from Alabama
. He was chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency
and in 1933 co-sponsored the Glass–Steagall Act with Carter Glass
, an act that introduced banking reforms and established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC). Alongside Senator Robert F. Wagner
he co-sponsored the Wagner-Steagall National Housing Act
of September 1937 which created the United States Housing Authority
.
Born in Clopton, Alabama
on May 19, 1873, Steagall attended the Southeast Alabama Agricultural School at Abbeville
and graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama
at Tuscaloosa in 1893. He served as the county solicitor of Dale County
from 1902 to 1908 and was a Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from 1906 to 1907. Steagall was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 3rd District in 1915 and served until 1943. He died while in office on November 22, 1943 in Washington, D.C.
.
Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest
it was stee-gall (like the words tea and gall), with equal stress on each syllable. He added, "This pronunciation is generally used throughout the South, and rarely used in the North. Our friends up there persist in stressing the first syllable and rhyming the name with 'eagle'." He was known by African Americans in Alabama as "Marse Henry."
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. He was chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency
United States House Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
and in 1933 co-sponsored the Glass–Steagall Act with Carter Glass
Carter Glass
Carter Glass was a newspaper publisher and politician from Lynchburg, Virginia. He served many years in Congress as a member of the Democratic Party. As House co-sponsor, he played a central role in the development of the 1913 Glass-Owen Act that created the Federal Reserve System. Glass...
, an act that introduced banking reforms and established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at...
(FDIC). Alongside Senator Robert F. Wagner
Robert F. Wagner
Robert Ferdinand Wagner I was an American politician. He was a Democratic U.S. Senator from New York from 1927 to 1949.-Origin and early life:...
he co-sponsored the Wagner-Steagall National Housing Act
Housing Act of 1937
The Housing Act of 1937, sometimes called the Wagner-Steagall Act, provided for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies to improve living conditions for low-income families....
of September 1937 which created the United States Housing Authority
United States Housing Authority
The United States Housing Authority, or USHA, was an agency created during 1937 as part of the New Deal.It was designed to lend money to the states or communities for low-cost construction. Units for about 650,000 low-income people but mostly homeless were started...
.
Born in Clopton, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
on May 19, 1873, Steagall attended the Southeast Alabama Agricultural School at Abbeville
Abbeville, Alabama
Abbeville is a city in Henry County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the population was 2,688. The city is the county seat of Henry County. It is the first city alphabetically, both by city and state, in the Rand McNally...
and graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
at Tuscaloosa in 1893. He served as the county solicitor of Dale County
Dale County, Alabama
Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...
from 1902 to 1908 and was a Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...
from 1906 to 1907. Steagall was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Alabama's 3rd District in 1915 and served until 1943. He died while in office on November 22, 1943 in 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....
.
Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
it was stee-gall (like the words tea and gall), with equal stress on each syllable. He added, "This pronunciation is generally used throughout the South, and rarely used in the North. Our friends up there persist in stressing the first syllable and rhyming the name with 'eagle'." He was known by African Americans in Alabama as "Marse Henry."