James J. Davis
Encyclopedia
James John Davis was an American
steel worker and Republican Party
politician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. He served as U.S. Secretary of Labor
and represented Pennsylvania
in the United States Senate
. He was also known by the nicknames of the "Iron Puddler
" and "Puddler Jim."
, Wales
, he emigrated with his parents, David James Davies and Esther Ford Nicholls Davies, to the United States
in 1881 at the age of eight.
They settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and later in Sharon, Pennsylvania
. He was apprenticed as a puddler's assistant in a steel
mill, and as a result, acquired his nickname. In 1893, he moved to Elwood, Indiana
, and served as city clerk from 1898 to 1902. From 1903 to 1907, he served as Recorder of Madison County, Indiana
, before returning to Pittsburgh. He personally signed his name as James J. Davies even though his surname had been Americanized to Davis and he became well known through his Americanized surname. He was married and had five children.
movements. Historian Hans P. Vought argues that Davis lamented the influx of cheap labor from Southern and Eastern Europe. Vought writes that Davis believed that Americans had, thanks to the eugenics movement, learned to discern between "bad stock and good stock, weak blood and strong blood, sound heredity and sickly human stuff."
Davis supported the rights of workers to strike, but only to a certain extent; he asked unions to "be slow to use the strike weapon." He was against the 12-hour workday that predominated in the American steel industry during the early 1920s.
from 1921 to 1930 under Presidents Warren G. Harding
, Calvin Coolidge
, and Herbert Hoover
. He is one of only three Cabinet officers in U.S. history to hold the same post under three consecutive Presidents. The other two Cabinet officers to accomplish this were Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson
and Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon
. During his tenure, he focused on immigration
, then a Labor Department responsibility, and established the United States Border Patrol
and proposed restrictions in immigration quotas. At the urging of the iron and steel workers union, he successfully urged U.S. Steel
to abandon the 12-hour workday.
He resigned as Secretary of Labor upon his election to the United States Senate from Pennsylvania
, accepting the seat denied to William S. Vare
. In 1922, he published his autobiography, The Iron Puddler. During his tenure in the Senate, he co-sponsored the Davis-Bacon Act
with New York
Congressman Robert L. Bacon
. He was defeated for re-election in 1944. Delta Sigma Phi
Fraternity inititated Davis as its only honorary member in 1923 at the request of the Omega chapter at the University of Pittsburgh
.
Davis joined the Loyal Order of Moose
in 1906 as its 247th member and staged a successful reorganization. He rose to become the Director-General
and took the Order internationally to Bermuda
, Britain
and Canada
. In 1926, he founded the Grand Lodge of Britain at his birthplace in Tredegar
, South Wales
.
, following a heart attack
at the age of 74. He is buried at Uniondale Cemetery in Pittsburgh.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
steel worker and Republican Party
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...
politician in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. He served as U.S. Secretary of Labor
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....
and represented Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
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...
. He was also known by the nicknames of the "Iron Puddler
Iron puddler
For the politician see James J. DavisAn iron puddler or a 'puddler' is an occupation involved in the manufacture of iron. Puddling was an improved process to convert pig iron into wrought iron with the use of a reverberating furnace.James J...
" and "Puddler Jim."
Early life and career
Born as James John Davies in TredegarTredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, he emigrated with his parents, David James Davies and Esther Ford Nicholls Davies, to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1881 at the age of eight.
They settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and later in Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. He was apprenticed as a puddler's assistant in a steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
mill, and as a result, acquired his nickname. In 1893, he moved to Elwood, Indiana
Elwood, Indiana
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 9,737 people, 3,845 households, and 2,660 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,743.1 people per square mile . There were 4,179 housing units at an average density of 1,177.3 per square mile...
, and served as city clerk from 1898 to 1902. From 1903 to 1907, he served as Recorder of Madison County, Indiana
Madison County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 133,358 people, 53,052 households, and 36,234 families residing in the county. The population density was 295 people per square mile . There were 56,939 housing units at an average density of 126 per square mile...
, before returning to Pittsburgh. He personally signed his name as James J. Davies even though his surname had been Americanized to Davis and he became well known through his Americanized surname. He was married and had five children.
Political views
Davis supported in the eugenicsEugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
movements. Historian Hans P. Vought argues that Davis lamented the influx of cheap labor from Southern and Eastern Europe. Vought writes that Davis believed that Americans had, thanks to the eugenics movement, learned to discern between "bad stock and good stock, weak blood and strong blood, sound heredity and sickly human stuff."
Davis supported the rights of workers to strike, but only to a certain extent; he asked unions to "be slow to use the strike weapon." He was against the 12-hour workday that predominated in the American steel industry during the early 1920s.
Later career
Davis served as United States Secretary of LaborUnited 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....
from 1921 to 1930 under Presidents Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
, and 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...
. He is one of only three Cabinet officers in U.S. history to hold the same post under three consecutive Presidents. The other two Cabinet officers to accomplish this were Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson
James Wilson (U.S. politician)
James "Tama Jim" Wilson was a Scotland-born United States politician who served as United States Secretary of Agriculture for sixteen years during three presidencies, from 1897 to 1913. He holds the record as the longest-serving United States Cabinet member.-Personal background:Wilson was born in...
and Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew W. Mellon
Andrew William Mellon was an American banker, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector and Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1921 until February 12, 1932.-Early life:...
. During his tenure, he focused on immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, then a Labor Department responsibility, and established the United States Border Patrol
United States Border Patrol
The United States Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency within U.S. Customs and Border Protection , a component of the Department of Homeland Security . It is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security that enforces laws and regulations for the admission of foreign-born persons to...
and proposed restrictions in immigration quotas. At the urging of the iron and steel workers union, he successfully urged U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
to abandon the 12-hour workday.
He resigned as Secretary of Labor upon his election to the United States Senate from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, accepting the seat denied to William S. Vare
William S. Vare
William Scott Vare was an American construction contractor and Republican Party politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the U.S House and won a contested election to the United States Senate.-Youth:Bill Vare was the youngest of three Vare brothers who were all...
. In 1922, he published his autobiography, The Iron Puddler. During his tenure in the Senate, he co-sponsored the Davis-Bacon Act
Davis-Bacon Act
The Davis–Bacon Act of 1931 is a United States federal law which established the requirement for paying prevailing wages on public works projects...
with New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Congressman Robert L. Bacon
Robert L. Bacon
Robert Low Bacon was a banker, Lieutenant Colonel, and congressman from New York.-Biography:Born in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, the son of Martha Waldron Cowdin and future Secretary of State Robert Bacon, he received a common school education as a child...
. He was defeated for re-election in 1944. Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
Fraternity inititated Davis as its only honorary member in 1923 at the request of the Omega chapter at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
Davis joined the Loyal Order of Moose
Moose International
Moose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...
in 1906 as its 247th member and staged a successful reorganization. He rose to become the Director-General
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
and took the Order internationally to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 1926, he founded the Grand Lodge of Britain at his birthplace in Tredegar
Tredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
Death
Davis died in Takoma Park, MarylandTakoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
, following a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 74. He is buried at Uniondale Cemetery in Pittsburgh.