Hatton W. Sumners

Hatton W. Sumners

Infobox_Congressman
name = Hatton W. Sumners|

date of birth = May 30, 1875
place of birth = Fayetteville, Tennessee
date of death = April 19, 1962
place of death = Dallas, Texas
state1 = Texas
district1 = At-Large
term1 = 1913-1915
preceded1 = new district
succeeded1 = A. Jeff McLemore
state2 = Texas
district2 = 5th
term2 = 1915–1947
preceded2 = Jack Beall
succeeded2 = J. Frank Wilson
party = Democratic
spouse = unmarried
profession = attorney
religion = Methodist

Hatton William Sumners (May 30, 1875 – April 19, 1962) was a Congressman from Texas from 1913—1947 and served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Early life and career

Sumners was born near Fayetteville, Tennessee on May 30, 1875. He moved to Garland, Texas, near Dallas in 1893. In 1895, as a 20-year-old newcomer to Dallas County, Sumners persuaded the Dallas City Attorney to let him "read law" in his office, an alternative to law school. [ [http://www.oldred.org/history/social_history_1.html| Old Red Museum, Dallas County Historical Society] ] Sumners was admitted to the bar in 1897 and commenced practice in Dallas, where he was elected prosecuting attorney of Dallas County in 1900, serving two non-consecutive terms. As prosecutor, he brought charges against gamblers in an attempt to clean up Dallas. As a result of his investigations and his campaign against drinking and vice, Sumners was not re-elected in 1902 [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ] He continued his campaign against gambling and voting irregularaties in Dallas, ultimately influencing state legislation enacted to reform the system, after which, Sumners was elected Dallas County proscutor again. Instead of continuing in that position, he instead was elected president of the district and county attorney’s association of Texas in 1906 and 1907 where he campaigned against betting interests. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ]

ervice in Congress

Sumners ran for and was elected to an at-large seat as a Democrat to the Sixty-third Congress, taking office on March 4, 1913. He was the first of the 132 freshmen congressmen in the that Congress to get a bill through the House; the bill made Dallas a port of entry for customs. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ] In 1914, he ran for the 5th District congressional seat which included Dallas, Ellis, Rockwall, Hill, and Bosque counties and he was elected. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ] He served on the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives and was appointed regularly to investigate allegations of corruption among federal judges, serving on the impeachment committees for three federal judges. [Congressional Biography]

Sumners became Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in 1932, [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ] and as a loyal Democrat supported much of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. However, when the Supreme Court began invalidating key parts of the New Deal, Roosevelt proposed a plan to expand the Court, his so-called Court-packing plan was announced in 1936. As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sumners discreetly worked in opposition, but as the plan was clearly in trouble, Sumners reportedly said, "Boys, here's where I cash in my chips," referring to his waning support for the President. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ] Ultimately, Chairman Sumners came out formally against the Court-packing plan. As a consequence of this, he faced two serious opponents in the 1938 election, but Sumners was re-elected and was not seriously challenged again. In 1946, Sumners announced he would not seek re-election.

Final years

After leaving Congress, Sumners was the Director of Research for the Southwestern Legal Foundation. Having never married, Sumners formed the The Hatton W. Sumners Foundation in 1949, which still awards loans, and scholarships to worthy students.

Sumners received an honorary doctor of laws from Southern Methodist University and the American Bar Association Gold Medal. He died on April 19, 1962, and after services in the Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas was buried in the Knights of Pythias Cemetery in Garland. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online] ]

Books authored

Sumners wrote "The Private Citizen and His Democracy" in 1959.

References

ources

*CongBio|S001072
* [http://www.oldred.org/history/social_history_1.html| Old Red Museum, Dallas County Historical Society]
* [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/SS/fsu4.html| Handbook of Texas Online]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure — The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure are the procedural rules that govern how federal criminal prosecutions are conducted in United States district courts, the general trial courts of the U.S. government. As such, they are the companion to the …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Mitglieder des US-Repräsentantenhauses aus Texas — Louie Gohmert, derzeitiger Vertreter des ersten Kongresswahlbezirks von Texas …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Conservative coalition — In the United States, the conservative coalition was an unofficial Congressional coalition bringing together the conservative majority of the Republican Party and the conservative, mostly Southern, wing of the Democratic Party. It was dominant in …   Wikipedia

  • Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 — The Hughes Court, 1932–1937. Front row: Justices Brandeis and Van Devanter, Chief Justice Hughes, and Justices McReynolds and Sutherland. Back row: Justices Roberts, Butler, Stone, and Cardozo …   Wikipedia

  • United States House Committee on the Judiciary — President Gerald Ford appearing at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing regarding his pardon of Richard Nixon (October 17, 1974). The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of… …   Wikipedia

  • 66th United States Congress — The Sixty sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4 1919 …   Wikipedia

  • 77th United States Congress — Dates of SessionsTwo sessions, roughly paralleling the calendar years 1941 and 1942: *First Session: January 3 1941 to January 2 1942 *Second Session: January 5 1942 to December 16 1942.Previous: 76th Congress • Next: 78th CongressMajor… …   Wikipedia

  • 67th United States Congress — The Sixty seventh 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 …   Wikipedia

  • A. Jeff McLemore — Infobox Congressman name = A. Jeff McLemore| date of birth = March 13 1857 place of birth = Spring Hill, Tennessee date of death = death date and age|1929|3|4|1857|3|13 place of death = Laredo, Texas state = Texas district = At Large term = 1915… …   Wikipedia

  • 67th United States Congress - State Delegations — The Sixty seventh 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 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”