Samuel B. Pettengill
Encyclopedia
Samuel Barrett Pettengill (January 19, 1886 – March 20, 1974) was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
, representing Indiana's 3rd congressional district
and nephew of William Horace Clagett
.
, Windham County, Vermont
. He attended the common schools. He graduated from Vermont Academy
at Saxtons River, Vermont
in 1904, from Middlebury College
, Middlebury, Vermont, in 1908, and from the law department of Yale University
in 1911. He was admitted to the bar
in 1912 and commenced practice in South Bend, Indiana
. He was a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Indiana and the United States Supreme Court. He was the recipient of honorary degrees from Harding, Franklin
, Marietta
and Middlebury Colleges
and Norwich University
. He served as member of the board of education of South Bend from 1926 to 1928. On June 1, 1912, Mr. Pettengill married Josephine Campbell of Napoleon, Ohio, who died on June 26, 1948. They had one daughter, Susan, (Mrs. Thomas B. Douglas), who lives in Washington, D.C. On July 16, 1949, he married Helen M. Charles, of New York City. He was a Congregationalist and a member of the Grafton Church in Grafton, VT all his life.
to the Seventy-second
and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1939). Pettengill was first elected to represent Indiana's 13th congressional district
, which was eliminated as a result of the 1930 Census, at which time Pettengill was redistricted into Indiana's 3rd congressional district
. During his time in Congress he served on committees on military affairs, interstate and foreign commerce and helped formulate much influential legislation. He was influential in the enactment of the Connolly Hot Oil Act
and the formulation of the Interstate Oil Compact. As a member of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Mr. Pettengill helped formulate the Securities Act, the Motor Carriers Act, the Stock Exchange Act
, the National Gas Act and other legislation dealing with railroads, commodity exchanges, public utilities, aviation and the Panama Canal
. He became widely known because of his activities in the defeat of the Supreme Court Packing Bill and the Reorganization Bill
during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth Congress
. He then resumed practicing law.
had been discarded. He worked as a newspaper columnist 1939–1948. A strong critic of numerous New Deal
policies, he was Chairman of the "No Third Term" campaign meeting at Carnegie Hall
in 1940. He was elected Chairman of the Republican National Finance Committee
in 1942. He served as vice president and general counsel of the Transportation Association of America from 1943 to 1945. He resigned early in 1944 to devote more of his time to his law practice, writing and speaking. During 1947 and 1948 he spoke on public affairs every Sunday afternoon over the American Broadcasting System. Since leaving Congress, he had been writing a twice-a--week column as "The Gentleman From Indiana", which was syndicated to over 100 newspapers all over the country. In 1940 he wrote Smoke Screen to show that the increasing federal controls over every facet of American business had its counterpart in developments in Germany and Italy. Smoke Screen was the best-selling non-fiction book of that year. For Americans Only, published in 1944, brought the same theme up to date. He was a practicing attorney for the Pure Oil Company, Chicago, Illinois from 1949 to 1956. He was a consultant for the Coe Foundation from 1956 to 1965.
and was one of the founders of the Grafton Historical Society in 1962 and its President for the next ten years. His intense interest in the early history of Vermont and its settlers led him to write his fifth book, The Yankee Pioneers -- A Saga of Courage, published in 1971. He was a 33rd Degree Mason, Master of Lodge # 294 and past deputy Grand Master of the Indiana Grand Lodge. In 1973, he received a citation and a medal of honor from the Masons in recognition of distinguished service to the craft.
He continued to live at his boyhood farm in Vermont until his death in Springfield, Vermont
, March 20, 1974. He was interred in Grafton Village Cemetery, Grafton, Vermont
.
His autobiography, My Story, edited by his wife Helen, was published posthumously in 1979.
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 Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, representing Indiana's 3rd congressional district
Indiana's 3rd congressional district
Indiana's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Fort Wayne, the district takes in the northeastern part of the state and includes Goshen....
and nephew of William Horace Clagett
William H. Clagett
William Horace Clagett was a nineteenth century politician and lawyer from various places in the United States. He was the uncle of Samuel B. Pettengill....
.
Early life
Pettengill was born January 19, 1886 in Portland, Oregon, the second son of Samuel Barrett and Susan Clagett Pettengill. After his mother’s death in 1890, the family moved to Vermont in 1892, and lived on the ancestral farm settled by his great-grandfather in 1787 in GraftonGrafton, Vermont
Grafton is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded as Thomlinson, but renaming rights were auctioned in 1791. The high bidder, who reportedly offered "five dollars and a jug of rum," changed the name to Grafton after...
, Windham County, Vermont
Windham County, Vermont
Windham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 44,513. Its shire town is Newfane.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. He attended the common schools. He graduated from Vermont Academy
Vermont Academy
Vermont Academy is an American coeducational boarding/day school and college preparatory school for grades nine through twelve and also offers acceptance for students seeking a post-graduate year. Founded in 1876, it is located in Saxtons River, Vermont. The school is coeducational, and...
at Saxtons River, Vermont
Saxtons River, Vermont
Saxtons River is an incorporated village in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 519 at the 2000 census. For over a hundred years, Saxtons River has been the home of Vermont Academy, an independent secondary school.The Saxtons River Village Historic...
in 1904, from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, Middlebury, Vermont, in 1908, and from the law department of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1911. 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...
in 1912 and commenced practice in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. He was a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Indiana and the United States Supreme Court. He was the recipient of honorary degrees from Harding, Franklin
Franklin College
Franklin College is a private liberal arts college in Franklin, Indiana, located about 20 minutes south of Indianapolis. Its enrollment of 1047 students enables individual attention and discussions with senior professors...
, Marietta
Marietta College
Marietta College is a co-educational private college in Marietta, Ohio, USA, which was the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The school offers 42 majors along with a large number of minors, all of which are grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation...
and Middlebury Colleges
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
and Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
. He served as member of the board of education of South Bend from 1926 to 1928. On June 1, 1912, Mr. Pettengill married Josephine Campbell of Napoleon, Ohio, who died on June 26, 1948. They had one daughter, Susan, (Mrs. Thomas B. Douglas), who lives in Washington, D.C. On July 16, 1949, he married Helen M. Charles, of New York City. He was a Congregationalist and a member of the Grafton Church in Grafton, VT all his life.
Politics
Pettengill was elected 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...
to the Seventy-second
72nd United States Congress
The Seventy-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 to March 4, 1933, during the last two years...
and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1939). Pettengill was first elected to represent Indiana's 13th congressional district
Indiana's 13th congressional district
Indiana's 13th congressional district was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in Indiana. It was eliminated as a result of the 1930 Census. It was last represented by Samuel B. Pettengill who was redistricted into the 3rd District.-List of representatives:-...
, which was eliminated as a result of the 1930 Census, at which time Pettengill was redistricted into Indiana's 3rd congressional district
Indiana's 3rd congressional district
Indiana's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Fort Wayne, the district takes in the northeastern part of the state and includes Goshen....
. During his time in Congress he served on committees on military affairs, interstate and foreign commerce and helped formulate much influential legislation. He was influential in the enactment of the Connolly Hot Oil Act
Connally Hot Oil Act of 1935
The Connally Hot Oil Act of 1935 was enacted in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Section 9 of the National Industrial Recovery Act in Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan, which gave the President authority "to prohibit the transportation in interstate and foreign commerce of...
and the formulation of the Interstate Oil Compact. As a member of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Mr. Pettengill helped formulate the Securities Act, the Motor Carriers Act, the Stock Exchange Act
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , , codified at et seq., is a law governing the secondary trading of securities in the United States of America. It was a sweeping piece of legislation...
, the National Gas Act and other legislation dealing with railroads, commodity exchanges, public utilities, aviation and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. He became widely known because of his activities in the defeat of the Supreme Court Packing Bill and the Reorganization Bill
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...
during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth Congress
76th United States Congress
The Seventy-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and...
. He then resumed practicing law.
Other work
His first book, Hot Oil, published in 1936, summarized the arguments pro and con in reference to the question of federal control or nationalization of the petroleum industry. Pettengill favored state rather than federal regulation and the highest degree of industrial freedom consistent with the conservation of our national petroleum resources. In 1939, he wrote Jefferson, The Forgotten Man, to show how far the principles of Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
had been discarded. He worked as a newspaper columnist 1939–1948. A strong critic of numerous New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
policies, he was Chairman of the "No Third Term" campaign meeting at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in 1940. He was elected Chairman of the Republican National Finance Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
in 1942. He served as vice president and general counsel of the Transportation Association of America from 1943 to 1945. He resigned early in 1944 to devote more of his time to his law practice, writing and speaking. During 1947 and 1948 he spoke on public affairs every Sunday afternoon over the American Broadcasting System. Since leaving Congress, he had been writing a twice-a--week column as "The Gentleman From Indiana", which was syndicated to over 100 newspapers all over the country. In 1940 he wrote Smoke Screen to show that the increasing federal controls over every facet of American business had its counterpart in developments in Germany and Italy. Smoke Screen was the best-selling non-fiction book of that year. For Americans Only, published in 1944, brought the same theme up to date. He was a practicing attorney for the Pure Oil Company, Chicago, Illinois from 1949 to 1956. He was a consultant for the Coe Foundation from 1956 to 1965.
Retirement
He retired from public life on July 1, 1956 and moved back to Vermont, where he continued to engage in writing and speaking in defense of Constitutional Government and the competitive free enterprise system. After retirement he taught American history at a variety of colleges in the Vermont area. He was a trustee of the Vermont Historical SocietyVermont Historical Society
The Vermont Historical Society was founded in 1838 to preserve and record the cultural history of the US state of Vermont. Headquartered in the old Spaulding School Building in Barre, the Vermont History Center is home to the Vermont Historical Society's administrative offices, the Leahy Library...
and was one of the founders of the Grafton Historical Society in 1962 and its President for the next ten years. His intense interest in the early history of Vermont and its settlers led him to write his fifth book, The Yankee Pioneers -- A Saga of Courage, published in 1971. He was a 33rd Degree Mason, Master of Lodge # 294 and past deputy Grand Master of the Indiana Grand Lodge. In 1973, he received a citation and a medal of honor from the Masons in recognition of distinguished service to the craft.
He continued to live at his boyhood farm in Vermont until his death in Springfield, Vermont
Springfield, Vermont
Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 9,373 at the 2010 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, the township was chartered on August 20, 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth and awarded to Gideon Lyman and 61 others...
, March 20, 1974. He was interred in Grafton Village Cemetery, Grafton, Vermont
Grafton, Vermont
Grafton is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded as Thomlinson, but renaming rights were auctioned in 1791. The high bidder, who reportedly offered "five dollars and a jug of rum," changed the name to Grafton after...
.
His autobiography, My Story, edited by his wife Helen, was published posthumously in 1979.
External links
- Guide to the Samuel B. Pettengill papers at the University of Oregon.
- Tales of Old Grafton, James and Margaret Cawley, Barnes, New York, 1974, ISBN 0-498-10277-8.(85-95)
- Jefferson, the Forgotten Man available online at archive.org