William I. Traeger
Encyclopedia
William Isham Traeger was an American
law enforcement
official who served as sheriff of Los Angeles County
from 1921 to 1932, and went on to serve one term as a United States Representative
from California
.
, the oldest of five children of Augustus Traeger, a blacksmith
who had migrated from Wisconsin
in 1872, and his wife Martha Ellen (Dunn) Traeger, who had migrated from Arkansas
in 1874. William attended elementary and high schools in Porterville, also assisting his father in his trade; Martha Traeger died in 1895. Traeger served during the Spanish-American War
as a private and corporal in the 6th California Volunteer Infantry from May 11 to December 15, 1898.
, earning his undergraduate degree in 1901. While there, he starred as a tackle on the football
team, kicking a field goal
to give Stanford a 5-0 victory over California
in the 1900 rivalry game
(field goals counted for 5 points until 1904); he was captain
of the team that played in the first Rose Bowl
game on January 1, 1902, a game in which he tore his shoulder ligament yet continued to play.
, where he helped in various athletic departments, leading Pomona College
's football team to a 3-2 record in 1902 and coaching at Occidental College
the following year. He served as a deputy United States Marshal
from April 1903 through 1906 and as a deputy sheriff
for Los Angeles County from January 1907 to 1911. He also worked for a general contracting
company. While a deputy marshal, he married Alice Collier, who died in 1908 from tuberculosis
.
team for the 1908 season; USC's teams were still called the Methodists before becoming known as the Trojans in 1912. He compiled a 3-1-1 (.700) record while coaching at USC; the schedule was entirely against southern California teams, including games against Pomona and Occidental as well as Los Angeles High School
(a team he had coached in 1906) and a San Bernardino County
athletic club, the only contest outside L.A. County. He was succeeded in 1909 by famous track coach Dean Cromwell
.
for the Supreme Court of California
, a position he would hold until 1921. During World War I
he enlisted in the Army
and served at an officer's training camp. In 1921, Traeger was appointed Sheriff of Los Angeles County; he was elected to 4-year terms in 1922, 1926 and 1930, serving until December 1932. During his time in office, he reorganized the county jail, established the county's honor camps for first-time misdemeanor offenders, and started the employment contact office which helped prisoners find employment after their release. In 1929 he became the first president of the Los Angeles County Peace Officers' Association.
(March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935) despite the Democratic landslide which occurred that year. He lost his reelection bid to John M. Costello
in 1934. Traeger died at age 54 of a liver disorder at the Wadsworth Hospital in Los Angeles, two weeks after leaving office; he had become ill in late December. He was survived by his second wife, the former Ruth McAllister, a schoolteacher he had married in 1912, and by one daughter from each marriage. He was interred at Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
law enforcement
Policing in the United States
Law enforcement in the United States is one of three major components of the criminal justice system of the United States, along with courts and corrections. Although there exists an inherent interrelatedness between the different groups that make up the criminal justice system based on their...
official who served as sheriff of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
from 1921 to 1932, and went on to serve one term as a United States Representative
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 California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Early life
Traeger was born in Porterville, CaliforniaPorterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. Porterville's population was 54,165 at the 2010 census. The city's population grew dramatically as the city annexed many properties and unincorporated areas in and around Porterville. Not included in the...
, the oldest of five children of Augustus Traeger, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who had migrated from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in 1872, and his wife Martha Ellen (Dunn) Traeger, who had migrated from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in 1874. William attended elementary and high schools in Porterville, also assisting his father in his trade; Martha Traeger died in 1895. Traeger served 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...
as a private and corporal in the 6th California Volunteer Infantry from May 11 to December 15, 1898.
College
After the war, he studied law at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, earning his undergraduate degree in 1901. While there, he starred as a tackle on the football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team, kicking a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
to give Stanford a 5-0 victory over California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
in the 1900 rivalry game
Big Game (football)
The Big Game is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. It is typically played in late November or early December...
(field goals counted for 5 points until 1904); he was captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the team that played in the first Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
game on January 1, 1902, a game in which he tore his shoulder ligament yet continued to play.
Coaching
In 1902 he moved to Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where he helped in various athletic departments, leading Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
's football team to a 3-2 record in 1902 and coaching at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
the following year. He served as a deputy United States Marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
from April 1903 through 1906 and as a deputy sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
for Los Angeles County from January 1907 to 1911. He also worked for a general contracting
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
company. While a deputy marshal, he married Alice Collier, who died in 1908 from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Law school and USC coaching
Traeger attended law school at the University of Southern California. During his time at USC, he served as the head coach of the USC footballUniversity of Southern California Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Pacific-12 Conference . The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA...
team for the 1908 season; USC's teams were still called the Methodists before becoming known as the Trojans in 1912. He compiled a 3-1-1 (.700) record while coaching at USC; the schedule was entirely against southern California teams, including games against Pomona and Occidental as well as Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
(a team he had coached in 1906) and a San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
athletic club, the only contest outside L.A. County. He was succeeded in 1909 by famous track coach Dean Cromwell
Dean Cromwell
Dean Bartlett Cromwell , nicknamed "Maker of Champions", was an American athletic coach in multiple sports, principally at the University of Southern California...
.
Legal career
Traeger was admitted to the bar in California in 1909, and began private practice. In 1911, be began serving as deputy clerkCourt clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
for the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
, a position he would hold until 1921. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he enlisted in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and served at an officer's training camp. In 1921, Traeger was appointed Sheriff of Los Angeles County; he was elected to 4-year terms in 1922, 1926 and 1930, serving until December 1932. During his time in office, he reorganized the county jail, established the county's honor camps for first-time misdemeanor offenders, and started the employment contact office which helped prisoners find employment after their release. In 1929 he became the first president of the Los Angeles County Peace Officers' Association.
Politics
In 1932 Traeger was elected as a Republican to the 73rd United States Congress73rd United States Congress
The Seventy-third 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 March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1935, during the first two years...
(March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935) despite the Democratic landslide which occurred that year. He lost his reelection bid to John M. Costello
John M. Costello
John Martin Costello was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Los Angeles, California, Costello attended the public schools.He was graduated from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, in 1924....
in 1934. Traeger died at age 54 of a liver disorder at the Wadsworth Hospital in Los Angeles, two weeks after leaving office; he had become ill in late December. He was survived by his second wife, the former Ruth McAllister, a schoolteacher he had married in 1912, and by one daughter from each marriage. He was interred at Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.
External links
- Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department profile and full biography (four pages) - unofficial guide to department history