James D. Phelan
Encyclopedia
James Duval Phelan was an American politician, civic leader and banker.
as a trader, merchant and banker. He graduated from St. Ignatius College
in 1881.
and then became a banker. He was elected Mayor of San Francisco and served from 1897 until 1902. He pushed for the reform City Charter of 1898 in San Francisco.
, and he obtained the rights to the water flow of the Tuolumne River
in Hetch Hetchy Valley
. Ethan A. Hitchcock
, Secretary of the Interior
under President Theodore Roosevelt
, tried to stop Phelan, but Roosevelt decided that the wild area could be used for "the permanent material development of the region." Phelan's plans for the region included publicly-funded water and electricity for a geographical entity he called "Greater San Francisco." With his Bohemian Club
fellows, Phelan sought to annex land at the perimeter of San Francisco Bay
.
Phelan was a member of the Committee of Fifty
, called into existence by Mayor Schmitz
to manage the crisis. Afterward, when Dr. Edward Thomas Devine, representing the American Red Cross
by appointment of President Roosevelt
, was responsible for Relief and Red Cross Funds, ex-Mayor Phelan was allowed to assist Devine, thus keeping the money out of the hands of Schmitz and Abe Ruef
. Phelan became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds when Dr. Devine was relieved of his post in July 1906.
, Phelan ran for the U.S. Senate against Republican
Joseph R. Knowland
and Progressive
Francis J. Heney
. He was then elected to the United States Senate
and served from March 4, 1915 to March 3, 1921. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1920, defeated by Republican, Samuel M. Shortridge
, coming in second place with 40% of the vote. His defeat may have been the result of his overly conservative campaign direction: One of his reelection campaign posters contained the headline "Keep California White" (this poster is displayed at Japanese American National Museum
). During his time in the Senate he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Railroads during the 64th Congress and of the U.S. Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands during the 65th Congress.
After his time in the Senate, Phelan returned to banking, and collected art. In 1930, his alma mater St. Ignatius College would be named the University of San Francisco
. He died at his country estate Villa Montalvo
in Saratoga, California
in 1930. After his death, the estate was gifted to the people of Santa Clara County. Montalvo is now a center for the performing and visual arts. Some of his mementos and correspondence are on display in the library at Villa Montalvo.
Phelan is buried in the family mausoleum in Holy Cross Cemetery
in Colma
, San Mateo County, California
.
Phelan Avenue in San Francisco is named for him. Phelan Hall, a dormitory on the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco
campus is also named for Phelan who graduated from USF's predecessor institution, St. Ignatius College
. The small town of Phelan
in the Californian High Desert
of the Mojave Desert is named after him. James D. Phelan Elementary School in the Moreland School District
in San Jose, California
, was named for him. The school was closed due to declining enrollment, but the facility now houses a preschool and Moreland Discovery Elementary School.
Early years
Phelan was born in San Francisco, the son of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy during the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
as a trader, merchant and banker. He graduated from St. Ignatius College
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
in 1881.
Career
He studied law at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and then became a banker. He was elected Mayor of San Francisco and served from 1897 until 1902. He pushed for the reform City Charter of 1898 in San Francisco.
Water and land rights
In the 1900s, Phelan bought land and water acreage in various places around the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, and he obtained the rights to the water flow of the Tuolumne River
Tuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is a California river that flows nearly from the central Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley...
in Hetch Hetchy Valley
Hetch Hetchy Valley
Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in California. It is currently completely flooded by O'Shaughnessy Dam, forming the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The Tuolumne River fills the reservoir. Upstream from the valley lies the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The reservoir...
. Ethan A. Hitchcock
Ethan A. Hitchcock (Interior)
Ethan Allen Hitchcock served under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.-Early life:...
, Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
under President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, tried to stop Phelan, but Roosevelt decided that the wild area could be used for "the permanent material development of the region." Phelan's plans for the region included publicly-funded water and electricity for a geographical entity he called "Greater San Francisco." With his Bohemian Club
Bohemian Club
The Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
fellows, Phelan sought to annex land at the perimeter of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
Earthquake recovery efforts
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
Phelan was a member of the Committee of Fifty
Committee of Fifty (1906)
This Committee of Fifty, sometimes referred to as Committee of Safety, Citizens' Committee of Fifty or Relief and Restoration Committee of Law and Order, was called into existence by Mayor Eugene Schmitz during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake...
, called into existence by Mayor Schmitz
Eugene Schmitz
Eugene Edward Schmitz was an American politician and the 26th mayor of San Francisco, who became notorious for his conviction by a jury on charges of corruption.-Life and career:...
to manage the crisis. Afterward, when Dr. Edward Thomas Devine, representing the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
by appointment of President Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, was responsible for Relief and Red Cross Funds, ex-Mayor Phelan was allowed to assist Devine, thus keeping the money out of the hands of Schmitz and Abe Ruef
Abe Ruef
Abraham Rueff , known as Abe Ruef, was an American lawyer and politician...
. Phelan became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds when Dr. Devine was relieved of his post in July 1906.
U.S. Senate
As a DemocratDemocratic 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...
, Phelan ran for the U.S. Senate against 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...
Joseph R. Knowland
Joseph R. Knowland
Joseph Russell Knowland was an American politician and newspaper publisher. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California and was owner, editor and publisher of the Oakland Tribune. He was the father of United States Senator William F...
and Progressive
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
Francis J. Heney
Francis J. Heney
Francis Joseph Heney was an American lawyer who served as Attorney General of the Arizona Territory between 1893 and 1895.- Early years :...
. He was then elected to 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...
and served from March 4, 1915 to March 3, 1921. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1920, defeated by Republican, Samuel M. Shortridge
Samuel M. Shortridge
Samuel Morgan Shortridge was a Republican Senator from California.A descendant of Daniel Boone, he was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and moved to California as a child with his family, which settled in San Jose in 1875. He practiced law in San Francisco, California for most of his life.He lost the...
, coming in second place with 40% of the vote. His defeat may have been the result of his overly conservative campaign direction: One of his reelection campaign posters contained the headline "Keep California White" (this poster is displayed at Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum
The opened its doors in 1992. The idea for the museum was originally thought up by Bruce Kaji with help from other notable Japanese American people at the time. The museum is located in the Little Tokyo an area near downtown Los Angeles, California. It is devoted to preserving the history and...
). During his time in the Senate he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Railroads during the 64th Congress and of the U.S. Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands during the 65th Congress.
Villa Montalvo and his legacy
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
. He died at his country estate Villa Montalvo
Villa Montalvo
Villa Montalvo is an Italian Mediterranean style mansion nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Saratoga, California, United States. It was constructed from 1912 to 1914 by California statesman and businessman James Duval Phelan. After Phelan's death, it was donated to the state...
in Saratoga, California
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
in 1930. After his death, the estate was gifted to the people of Santa Clara County. Montalvo is now a center for the performing and visual arts. Some of his mementos and correspondence are on display in the library at Villa Montalvo.
Phelan is buried in the family mausoleum in Holy Cross Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California is an American Roman Catholic cemetery operated by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Established in 1887 on of a former potato farm, it is the oldest and largest cemetery established in Colma to serve the needs of San Francisco...
in Colma
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
, San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
.
Phelan Avenue in San Francisco is named for him. Phelan Hall, a dormitory on the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
campus is also named for Phelan who graduated from USF's predecessor institution, St. Ignatius College
St. Ignatius College
Coláiste Iognáid , a bilingual secondary school, is located on Sea Road/Bóthar na Mara in Galway, Ireland. It was originally founded in 1645 and has had numerous locations over the years before its current home. The college is a co-educational, non-fee paying secondary school and one of a number of...
. The small town of Phelan
Phelan, California
Phelan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, in the Victor Valley of the Mojave Desert, north of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population was 14,304 in the 2010 census.-Geography:...
in the Californian High Desert
High Desert (California)
The High Desert is an unofficial and vaguely-defined geographic area of southern California located to the northeast of the San Gabriel Mountains. The term "High Desert" is used most commonly by the news media, especially in weather forecasts, and in the names of businesses and organizations...
of the Mojave Desert is named after him. James D. Phelan Elementary School in the Moreland School District
Moreland School District
The Moreland School District operates four K-5 grade elementary schools, one K-8 school, and one grade 6-8 middle school in San Jose, California, United States. The district's FTE teachers serve around 4,025 ADA students. It was established in 1851, the oldest known rural school district in...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, was named for him. The school was closed due to declining enrollment, but the facility now houses a preschool and Moreland Discovery Elementary School.
External links
- Guide to the James D. Phelan Papers at The Bancroft Library
- Montalvo Arts Center