Clarence Eugene Hancock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York | |
| In office November 8, 1927 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Walter W. Magee |
| Succeeded by | R. Walter Riehlman |
| Constituency | 35th district (1927–45) 36th district (1945–47) |
| Corporation Counsel ofSyracuse, New York | |
| In office January 1, 1926 – November 7, 1927 | |
| Preceded by | Frank W. Cregg |
| Succeeded by | H. Duane Bruce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1885-02-13)February 13, 1885 |
| Died | January 3, 1948(1948-01-03) (aged 62) Washington, D.C., US |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Emily W. Shonk (m. 1912) |
| Relations | Theodore E. Hancock (father) Stewart F. Hancock Jr. (nephew) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University New York Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | New York Army National Guard United States Army |
| Years of service | 1916-1917 1918-1919 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 1st New York Cavalry Regiment 27th Division |
| Commands | Company D, 104th Machine Gun Battalion |
| Battles/wars | Pancho Villa Expedition World War I |
| Awards | Silver Star |
Clarence Eugene Hancock (February 13, 1885 – January 3, 1948) was an American attorney and politician fromNew York. He was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1927 to 1947.
A native ofSyracuse, New York, Hancock graduated fromWesleyan University (1906) andNew York Law School (1908), then practiced law in Syracuse. A veteran of thePancho Villa Expedition andWorld War I, Hancock went on to serve as Syracuse's corporation counsel from 1926 to 1927. ARepublican, in 1927 Hancock won a special election for the U.S. House. He was reelected every two years from 1928 to 1944, and served from November 8, 1927, to January 3, 1947.
Hancock did not run for reelection in 1946 because of declining health. He died inWashington, D.C., on January 3, 1948, and wasburied at Woodlawn Cemetery in Syracuse.
Hancock was born inSyracuse, New York, on February 13, 1885, the son of Martha (Connelly) Hancock andTheodore E. Hancock.[1] Theodore Hancock was an attorney and political figure who served asNew York Attorney General from 1894 to 1898.[2] Clarence Hancock attended Syracuse's Madison School and graduated fromSyracuse Central High School.[3] He then attendedWesleyan University, from which he graduated in 1906, andNew York Law School from which he received hisLL.B. in 1908.[4] After completing law school, Hancock was admitted to the bar and practiced in Syracuse.[4]
As a member of the New York National Guard's 1st Cavalry Regiment, Hancock attained the rank ofsergeant and served on the Mexican border during the 1916Pancho Villa Expedition.[4] DuringWorld War I, he served inFrance with the 104th Machine Gun Battalion, a unit of the27th Division, and attained the rank ofcaptain as commander of the battalion's Company D.[4] He subsequently served as an assistant to the division's judge advocate,J. Leslie Kincaid.[5] The 27th Division commander,John F. O'Ryan, cited Hancock for bravery during combat at Jonc de Mer Ridge, nearLe Cateau-Cambrésis, France, on October 18, 1918.[6] During the fighting, Hancock personally conducted front line reconnaissance to determine the best locations to emplace his guns.[7] While under fire throughout the battle, he maintained liaison with the Infantry units his company supported in order to enable their attack.[7] For his heroism, Hancock received theCitation Star.[7] When this award was converted to theSilver Star in 1932,[8] Hancock's decoration was upgraded the new award.[9][10]
Hancock was Syracuse's corporation counsel from 1926 to 1927.[11] In addition, he was a longtime member of Wesleyan University's board of trustees and the board of directors of theSyracuse Journal newspaper.[4][11] Hancock was a member of theOnondaga County Bar Association,New York State Bar Association, and Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.[4] From 1928 to 1948, Hancock served as a director of Syracuse's Merchants National Bank and Trust Company.[12]
In addition to his legal career, Hancock was also involved in civic and charitable endeavors, including serving as president of the Syracuse Music Festival Association.[4] In addition, he was vice commander of hisAmerican Legion post.[4] Hancock was also an athlete, and was a member of the Sedgwick Farm Club (tennis), Cazenovia Club (golf and tennis), Onondaga Golf and Country Club (golf), and Skaneateles Country Club (golf).[4] Hancock was also a member of several social organizations, including Syracuse's University Club and the Century Club of Syracuse.[4]
In 1927, Hancock was a successfulRepublican candidate in a special election for theUnited States House of Representatives.[11] He was reelected nine times, and served from November 8, 1927, to January 3, 1947.[11] As a member of Congress, Hancock opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.[11] He served on the Judiciary and Naval Affairs Committees and was also chair of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee's speaker's bureau.[11] In addition, he served as head of the party's eastern speaker's bureau for the 1936 elections.[11]
Hancock did not run for reelection in 1946 because of ill health.[11] He died inWashington, D.C., on January 3, 1948.[11] Hancock wasburied at Woodlawn Cemetery in Syracuse.[13]
In 1912, Hancock married Emily W. Shonk (1885–1974) ofPlymouth, Pennsylvania.[4] They were the parents of a son, John S. Hancock (1914–2007), a veteran ofWorld War II who pursued a banking career in Syracuse.[11][14][15]
Hancock's brother Stewart Freeman Hancock (1883–1966) was a prominent Syracuse area attorney.[16] Hancock's nephewStewart F. Hancock Jr. was a judge of theNew York Court of Appeals.[17]
Syracuse Hancock International Airport and the co-locatedHancock Field Air National Guard Base are both named in Hancock's honor.[18][19] After his death, Hancock's family donated his papers toSyracuse University.[11] They were later transferred to the State University of New York at Albany.[11] Hancock's papers, titled Clarence E. Hancock Papers, 1929–1946, are now part of the state university's M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections.[11]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 35th congressional district 1927–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 36th congressional district 1945–1947 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
