Lloyd Thurston
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Thurston was a seven-term Republican U.S. Representative
from southern Iowa
. First elected in 1924, he served until 1938, when he unsuccessfully sought election to the U.S. Senate. By his final term, he had served on three of the most powerful House committees.
Born in Osceola, Iowa
, Thurston attended the public schools. During the Spanish-American War
enlisted on June 13, 1898, as a private in Company I of the Iowa Volunteer Infantry's Fifty-first Regiment. He also served with this company during the Philippine–American War, and was honorably discharged on November 2, 1899.
In 1902, he graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law
at Iowa City, Iowa
. He was admitted to the bar
the same year and commenced private practice in Osceola. He served as a prosecuting attorney for Clarke County, Iowa
from 1906 to 1910.
Thurston served as captain in the Iowa National Guard from 1902 to 1906. During the First World War served with the rank of captain in Company C, Twenty-sixth Battalion, of the United States Guards, at Fort Crook, Nebraska.
After serving as member of the Iowa Senate
from 1920 to 1924, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House for Iowa's 8th congressional district
that was open due to the retirement of Hiram Kinsman Evans
. He defeated populist Democrat Rev. LeRoy Munyon, by over 16,000 votes. After re-election landslides in 1926 and 1928, he survived a close challenge in 1930, winning by a margin of fewer than 1,600 votes.
In 1931 Iowa lost two seats in Congress, requiring redistricting by the Iowa General Assembly
. Thurston's home county (Clarke County) was included in Iowa's 5th congressional district
, where he ran for election in 1932. Unlike a majority of his colleagues in the Iowa house delegation, he survived the Roosevelt landslide, but by fewer than 200 votes out of over 100,000 votes cast.
In 1933, Thurston voted in favor of certain key elements of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, including the National Industrial Recovery Act
and the Agricultural Adjustment Act
. In the following election, in which Democrats generally retained the seats they had won in the 1932, Thurston widened his victory margin to over 5,000 votes. In 1936 he again won by a similar margin.
By 1938, he had served on the House Committee on Rules, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee. He was one of the leaders of the Republican opposition to Roosevelt's Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
, an unsuccessful effort to change the size of the U.S. Supreme Court to remove it as an obstacle to Roosevelt's social and economic legislation.
Thurston was not a candidate for renomination to his House seat in 1938, but instead ran against former one-term Republican Senator L. J. Dickinson for their party's nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Guy M. Gillette. Thurston lost to Dickinson, who in turn lost a close contest in the general election to Gillette.
Thurston resumed the practice of law in Osceola, Iowa
. He died in Des Moines, Iowa
on May 7, 1970. He was interred in Maple Hill Cemetery, Osceola, Iowa
.
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 southern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. First elected in 1924, he served until 1938, when he unsuccessfully sought election to the U.S. Senate. By his final term, he had served on three of the most powerful House committees.
Born in Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
, Thurston attended the public schools. During 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...
enlisted on June 13, 1898, as a private in Company I of the Iowa Volunteer Infantry's Fifty-first Regiment. He also served with this company during the Philippine–American War, and was honorably discharged on November 2, 1899.
In 1902, he graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa College of Law
The University of Iowa College of Law is one of the eleven professional graduate schools at the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. The law school was ranked as the 27th best law school...
at Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
the same year and commenced private practice in Osceola. He served as a prosecuting attorney for Clarke County, Iowa
Clarke County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,286 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,086 housing units, of which 3,701 were occupied.-2000 census:...
from 1906 to 1910.
Thurston served as captain in the Iowa National Guard from 1902 to 1906. During the First World War served with the rank of captain in Company C, Twenty-sixth Battalion, of the United States Guards, at Fort Crook, Nebraska.
After serving as member of the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
from 1920 to 1924, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House for Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. The district was configured five times. Although the district encompassed four different areas of Iowa in its ninety-year existence, it was always predominantly rural, and elected a Republican lawyer to the United States House of...
that was open due to the retirement of Hiram Kinsman Evans
Hiram Kinsman Evans
Hiram Kinsman Evans served part of one term as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 8th congressional district....
. He defeated populist Democrat Rev. LeRoy Munyon, by over 16,000 votes. After re-election landslides in 1926 and 1928, he survived a close challenge in 1930, winning by a margin of fewer than 1,600 votes.
In 1931 Iowa lost two seats in Congress, requiring redistricting by the Iowa General Assembly
Iowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
. Thurston's home county (Clarke County) was included in Iowa's 5th congressional district
Iowa's 5th congressional district
Iowa's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers most of Western Iowa and includes the cities of Council Bluffs and Sioux City...
, where he ran for election in 1932. Unlike a majority of his colleagues in the Iowa house delegation, he survived the Roosevelt landslide, but by fewer than 200 votes out of over 100,000 votes cast.
In 1933, Thurston voted in favor of certain key elements of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, including the National Industrial Recovery Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
The National Industrial Recovery Act , officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 (Ch. 90, 48 Stat. 195, formerly...
and the Agricultural Adjustment Act
Agricultural Adjustment Act
The Agricultural Adjustment Act was a United States federal law of the New Deal era which restricted agricultural production by paying farmers subsidies not to plant part of their land and to kill off excess livestock...
. In the following election, in which Democrats generally retained the seats they had won in the 1932, Thurston widened his victory margin to over 5,000 votes. In 1936 he again won by a similar margin.
By 1938, he had served on the House Committee on Rules, the House Appropriations Committee, and the House Ways and Means Committee. He was one of the leaders of the Republican opposition to Roosevelt's Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, frequently called the court-packing plan, was a legislative initiative proposed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt's purpose was to obtain favorable rulings regarding New Deal legislation that...
, an unsuccessful effort to change the size of the U.S. Supreme Court to remove it as an obstacle to Roosevelt's social and economic legislation.
Thurston was not a candidate for renomination to his House seat in 1938, but instead ran against former one-term Republican Senator L. J. Dickinson for their party's nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Guy M. Gillette. Thurston lost to Dickinson, who in turn lost a close contest in the general election to Gillette.
Thurston resumed the practice of law in Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
. He died in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
on May 7, 1970. He was interred in Maple Hill Cemetery, Osceola, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
.