Guy Mark Gillette

Guy Mark Gillette (February 3, 1879 - March 3, 1973) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from Iowa. In the U.S. Senate, Gillette was elected, re-elected, defeated, elected again, and defeated again.

Born in Cherokee, Iowa, he attended public school and graduated from Drake University Law School in Des Moines in 1900. He was admitted to the bar in 1900 and commenced practice in Cherokee. During the Spanish-American War, he served as a sergeant in the Fifty-second Iowa Regiment in the United States Army, but never saw combat. [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/McClure1.pdf Oral History of Stewart McClure, Part 1 (Service on Gillette Senate Staff)] , at 5.] He volunteered to fight against the British in Africa in the Boer War, but was turned down.

Returning to Iowa, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and was the city attorney of Cherokee in 1906-1907. He became the prosecuting attorney of Cherokee County from 1907-1909 and a member of the Iowa State Senate from 1912 to 1916.

During the First World War, he served as a captain in the United States Army.

In 1932, in the Roosevelt landslide, he was elected as a Democrat to represent Iowa's 9th congressional district. He was re-elected in 1934, and served nearly all of that term. He resigned upon his election to the United States Senate on November 3, 1936 to serve out the remainder of the term of Senator Richard Louis Murphy, who had died in an auto accident. Nearly two years remained in Murphy's term, which would end January 3, 1939.

Gillette was targeted for replacement in 1938 by the Roosevelt Administration because of Gillette's vote against Roosevelt's plan to expand the Supreme Court and other positions. [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,848978,00.html Iowa's Microcosm] ," Time Magazine, 1938-06-13.] He nevertheless defeated Roosevelt's choice for the Democratic nomination, Otha D. Wearin, and was elected to his first full Senate term. During that term, his conflicts with the Roosevelt Administration expanded, on topics as diverse as the terms of the Neutrality Act, [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,771644,00.html Rebels and Ripsnorters,] " Time Magazine, 1939-7-24.] , and choices for judgeships. [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772715,00.html SEC seat warming] ," Time Magazine, 1941-04-21.] Like several others who had opposed Roosevelt's efforts to aid Great Britain before Pearl Harbor but faced wartime elections, Gillette lost his next re-election bid, in 1944, to Iowa Governor and Republican Bourke B. Hickenlooper. [" [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,801530,00.html The New Senate] ," Time Magazine, 1944-11-13.]

After his first defeat, Gillette was the chairman of the Surplus Property Board in 1945, president of the American League for a Free Palestine from 1945 to 1948.

He launched a political comeback in 1948, defeating former governor and U.S. Senator George A. Wilson's attempt to seek re-election to Iowa's other U.S. Senate seat. Gillette served until January 3, 1955, when his bid for re-election was thwarted when he was unseated by U.S. Representative Thomas E. Martin of Iowa City. His defeat was considered an upset because it conflicted with earlier polls. ["Gillette is Upset, GOP wins State," Waterloo Daily Courier, 1954-11-03, at 1-2.] For the last time, it left every Iowa seat in Congress in Republican hands.

Following his second defeat, Gillette was a counsel with the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee (1955-1956) and the Senate Judiciary Committee (1956-1961).

He retired and resided in Cherokee, Iowa until his death on March 3, 1973, and was interred in Oak Knoll Cemetery.

References

USRepSuccessionBox
state=Iowa
district=9
before=Charles E. Swanson
years = 1933–1937
after=Vincent F. HarringtonU.S. Senator box
state = Iowa
class = 3
before = Richard L. Murphy
after = Bourke B. Hickenlooper
alongside = Lester J. Dickinson,Clyde L. Herring,George A. Wilson
years = 1936–1945U.S. Senator box
state = Iowa
class = 2
before = George A. Wilson
after = Thomas E. Martin
alongside = Bourke B. Hickenlooper
years = 1949–1955
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

* Adapted from [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000205 Congressional Biographical Directory, a product of the US Government]