James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark was Speaker of the House from 1911 to 1919 and a leading contender to be the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 1912. Champ had a majority of delegates through eight ballots but the party rules required a two-thirds majority of delegates in order to clinch the nomination. The Democrats went with Woodrow Wilson, who ran against the Republican incumbent William Howard Taft, ex-President Teddy Roosevelt (the Bull Moose Progressives candidate) and Socialist Eugene V. Debs. The good old days.
Like so many politicians of his day, Clark had been a newspaper man and an attorney. But his first job after graduation from college was -- college president! He was hired as president of Marshall College of Huntington, West Virginia, in 1873. Champ Clark was 23 years old. He held the post one year and then resigned to enter law school. He eventually served in the Missouri House of Representatives before he began his tenure in the U.S. House.
In 1920 the Republicans swept to power in the White House and Congress. Champ Clark was among the Democrats who lost. Even if he had won re-election, he would not have served. He died March 2, 1921, two days before the members of the 67th Congress took their oaths of office.
According to his obituary in the New York Times, the last coherent words Champ Clark spoke before he died were "The question now is on the adoption of the conference report."
Which must be a Speaker's way of saying, "I should have spent more time at the office."
Like so many politicians of his day, Clark had been a newspaper man and an attorney. But his first job after graduation from college was -- college president! He was hired as president of Marshall College of Huntington, West Virginia, in 1873. Champ Clark was 23 years old. He held the post one year and then resigned to enter law school. He eventually served in the Missouri House of Representatives before he began his tenure in the U.S. House.
In 1920 the Republicans swept to power in the White House and Congress. Champ Clark was among the Democrats who lost. Even if he had won re-election, he would not have served. He died March 2, 1921, two days before the members of the 67th Congress took their oaths of office.
According to his obituary in the New York Times, the last coherent words Champ Clark spoke before he died were "The question now is on the adoption of the conference report."
Which must be a Speaker's way of saying, "I should have spent more time at the office."