Thomas Sterling | |
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| United States Senator fromSouth Dakota | |
| In office March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1925 | |
| Preceded by | Robert J. Gamble |
| Succeeded by | William H. McMaster |
| Dean ofUniversity of South Dakota College of Law | |
| In office July 1, 1901 – June 10, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Marshall McKusick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1851-02-21)February 21, 1851 Amanda,Ohio |
| Died | August 26, 1930(1930-08-26) (aged 79) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Relatives | John A. Sterling (brother) |
| Education | Illinois Wesleyan University |
| Signature | .png) |
Thomas Sterling (February 21, 1851 – August 26, 1930) was an American lawyer, politician, and academic who served as a member of theUnited States Senate and the first dean of theUniversity of South Dakota College of Law.
ARepublican, he served in theSenate from 1913 to 1925. He later served as dean and law professor atGeorge Washington University Law School. TheUniversity of South Dakota School of Law awards "Sterling Honors" to their graduating top 10% in honor of their first dean.
Sterling, was born nearAmanda, Ohio. He moved with his parents, Charles Sterling (1821–1905) and Anna Kessler (1827–1908) toMcLean County, Illinois in 1854, where he attended the public schools and graduated fromIllinois Wesleyan University atBloomington in 1875.
He was superintendent of schools ofBement, Illinois, from 1875 to 1877.[1] His brotherJohn A. Sterling, became a U.S. representative from Illinois.
Sterling studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1878, commencing his practice inSpringfield, Illinois. He became the city prosecuting attorney in 1880 until 1881. In 1882 he moved to theTerritory of Dakota and located inNorthville, Dakota Territory. He moved toRedfield in 1886 and continued the practice of law, serving as district attorney ofSpink County, South Dakota, from 1886 to 1888. In 1889, he became a member of the State constitutional convention, and a year later in 1890 a member of the State senate. From 1901 to 1911 he was the first dean of theUniversity of South Dakota College of Law atVermillion.
He was elected in 1912 as a Republican to the United States Senate, was reelected in 1918, and served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1925. During this time, he served on theOverman Committee investigatingseditiousGerman andBolshevik activities. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1924, losing in the Republican primary toWilliam H. McMaster, who won the general election. During theSixty-sixth Congress, he was the chairman of theUnited States Senate Committee on Civil Service. In theSixty-seventh Congress he served on the Committee on Civil Service, and on the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads during theSixty-eighth Congress. While he served in Congress he served withWilliam Williamson andRoyal C. Johnson, two of his first graduates from theCollege of Law.
He practiced law inWashington, D.C., and served on the faculty of National University Law School, nowGeorge Washington University School of Law. He was appointed by PresidentCalvin Coolidge in 1925 as field secretary of the Commission for the Celebration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington.
Sterling died in Washington, D.C., on August 26, 1930.[2] He was interred inCedar Hill Cemetery.
Media related toThomas Sterling at Wikimedia Commons| Party political offices | ||
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| First | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromSouth Dakota (Class 2) 1918 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from South Dakota 1913–1925 Served alongside:Coe I. Crawford,Edwin S. Johnson,Peter Norbeck | Succeeded by |
| Class 2 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| Post Office and Post Roads (1816–1947) | | |
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| Civil Service and Retrenchment (1873–1921) | ||
| Civil Service (1921–1947) | ||
| Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1977) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
