J. Hamilton Lewis
Encyclopedia
James Hamilton Lewis was the first Senator to hold the title of Whip
in the United States Senate
. Lewis was born in Danville, Virginia
, and also grew up in Augusta, Georgia
. He was educated at the University of Virginia
and studied law in Savannah, Georgia
before he served in the Spanish-American War
.
and went on to serve Illinois
(1913–1919, 1931–1939) in the United States Senate as a member of the Democratic Party
. Lewis served as Majority Whip from 1913 until 1919. At some point in his congressional career, he became known to colleagues as "Ham".
A close ally of President Woodrow Wilson
, Lewis was a leader in getting much of Wilson's "New Freedom
" legislation passed. Upon his defeat for reelection in '18, Lewis was offered the ambassadorship to Belgium
by the President, but he declined and returned to his private legal practice in Illinois.
He would hold the Majority Whip position again from 1933 until his death in 1939. He was defeated for reelection to the Senate in 1918, but regained his seat in the election in 1930. He ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois
in 1908 and 1920, and continued to serve as Minority Whip in the Senate during the Depression and the New Deal era. Lewis won his last Senate election in 1936, and died in office in 1939.
In 1932, Lewis went to the Democratic National Convention
in Chicago, as the "favorite son
" candidate of Illinois, at the behest of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak
. Cermak's hope was to use Lewis to keep the Illinois delegates from supporting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but Lewis later withdrew his name from consideration, and released his delegates, many of whom went to FDR and helped secure him the nomination.
Lewis was one of the first to befriend the new, and rather intimidated, Senator Harry S Truman. In 1935, during Truman's first few weeks in office, Lewis sat next to Truman and kindly said "Harry, don't start out with an inferiority complex. For the first six months you'll wonder how the hell you got here. After that you'll wonder how the hell rest of us got here."
Lewis was known to be something of an eccentric in manner and dress, wearing spats well into the 1930s, and sporting Van Dyke whiskers and a "wavy pink toupee", but he was courtly in manner, and a talented orator. He was an authority on the U.S. Constitution and on foreign affairs, and a skillful legislative tactician. He died in office, and his funeral service was held in the Senate Chamber.
Lewis was buried in the Abbey Mausoleum near Arlington National Cemetery
but his remains were later moved to an unknown location.
Assistant party leaders of the United States Senate
The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate....
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...
. Lewis was born in Danville, Virginia
Danville, Virginia
Danville is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Caswell County, North Carolina. It was the last capital of the Confederate States of America. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Danville with Pittsylvania county for...
, and also grew up in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. He was educated at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and studied law in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
before he served in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
.
Congressional career
Lewis was one of a very few politicians to represent two states in the United States Congress. Lewis represented Washington (1897–1899) in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited 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...
and went on to serve Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(1913–1919, 1931–1939) in the United States Senate as a member of the Democratic Party
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...
. Lewis served as Majority Whip from 1913 until 1919. At some point in his congressional career, he became known to colleagues as "Ham".
A close ally of President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, Lewis was a leader in getting much of Wilson's "New Freedom
New Freedom
New Freedom may refer to:*New Freedom, Pennsylvania, a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States*New Freedom, New Jersey, an unincorporated community in Camden County, New Jersey, United States...
" legislation passed. Upon his defeat for reelection in '18, Lewis was offered the ambassadorship to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
by the President, but he declined and returned to his private legal practice in Illinois.
He would hold the Majority Whip position again from 1933 until his death in 1939. He was defeated for reelection to the Senate in 1918, but regained his seat in the election in 1930. He ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
in 1908 and 1920, and continued to serve as Minority Whip in the Senate during the Depression and the New Deal era. Lewis won his last Senate election in 1936, and died in office in 1939.
In 1932, Lewis went to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in Chicago, as the "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...
" candidate of Illinois, at the behest of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak
Anton Cermak
Anton Joseph Cermak was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his assassination by Giuseppe Zangara in 1933.-Early life and career:...
. Cermak's hope was to use Lewis to keep the Illinois delegates from supporting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but Lewis later withdrew his name from consideration, and released his delegates, many of whom went to FDR and helped secure him the nomination.
Lewis was one of the first to befriend the new, and rather intimidated, Senator Harry S Truman. In 1935, during Truman's first few weeks in office, Lewis sat next to Truman and kindly said "Harry, don't start out with an inferiority complex. For the first six months you'll wonder how the hell you got here. After that you'll wonder how the hell rest of us got here."
Lewis was known to be something of an eccentric in manner and dress, wearing spats well into the 1930s, and sporting Van Dyke whiskers and a "wavy pink toupee", but he was courtly in manner, and a talented orator. He was an authority on the U.S. Constitution and on foreign affairs, and a skillful legislative tactician. He died in office, and his funeral service was held in the Senate Chamber.
Lewis was buried in the Abbey Mausoleum near Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
but his remains were later moved to an unknown location.