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Cassius Clay Dowell | |
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 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's7th district | |
| In office 1915–1933 | |
| Preceded by | Solomon F. Prouty |
| Succeeded by | Otha Wearin |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's6th district | |
| In office 1933–1935 | |
| Preceded by | C. William Ramseyer |
| Succeeded by | Hubert Utterback |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 6th district | |
| In office 1937 – February 4, 1940 | |
| Preceded by | Hubert Utterback |
| Succeeded by | Robert K. Goodwin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1864-02-29)February 29, 1864 Near Summerset,Warren County, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | February 4, 1940(1940-02-04) (aged 75) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Drake University |
Cassius Clay Dowell (February 29, 1864 – February 4, 1940) was a RepublicanU.S. Representative fromIowa. He served from 1915 to 1935, and again from 1937 until his death in 1940, with the interregnum caused by an unsuccessful campaign for reelection in 1934.
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Born on a farm near the unincorporated town of Summerset, Iowa (inWarren County, nearIndianola) Dowell attended the public schools, Baptist College inDes Moines, Iowa, andSimpson College inIndianola, Iowa. In 1886, he graduated from theliberal arts department ofDrake University inDes Moines, Iowa, and graduated fromDrake University Law School the following year. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1888 and commenced practice in Des Moines.
From 1894 to 1898, Dowell served as member of theIowa State House of Representatives. He served in theIowa State Senate from 1902 to 1912.
In 1914, Dowell was elected as aRepublican to representIowa's 7th congressional district. He was re-elected to this seat eight times, until reapportionment between 1930 and 1932 moved his home county intoIowa's 6th congressional district, prompting him to run for the seat in that district. He won the 1932 race by more than 13,000 votes, surviving the Roosevelt landslide. Yet he was surprised two years later, when former Iowa Supreme Court JusticeHubert Utterback upset him by over 4,000 votes. He had served nearly twenty years, in theSixty-fourth and the nine succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915 – January 3, 1935). He had served as chairman of the Committee on Elections (in theSixty-sixth andSixty-seventh Congresses), and on the Committee on Roads (in theSixty-eighth throughSeventy-first Congresses).
Dowell returned to Des Moines to practice law, andreclaimed his seat two years later in 1936, when Utterbeck ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. Utterbeck tried to regain his House in 1938, but Dowelldefeated him decisively.
Dowell filed for re-election in the 1940 race, but died due toheart disease inWashington, D.C., on February 4, 1940.[1] He was interred in Glendale Cemetery,Des Moines, Iowa.
In reporting his death, an Iowa newspaper reported that "only rarely did he participate in house debate but his influence upon legislation was strong. He was instrumental in securingveterans' hospitals for Des Moines and Knoxville, in the establishment ofCamp Dodge during wartime, and in the erection of an $800,000 federal building on Des Moines' waterfront."[1]
After his death, RepublicanRobert K. Goodwin won the special election to complete his term, and RepublicanPaul Cunningham won the 1940 general election for a full term.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 7th congressional district 1915 – 1933 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 6th congressional district 1933 – 1935 (obsolete district) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 6th congressional district 1937 – February 4, 1940 (obsolete district) | Succeeded by |
| Public Buildings and Grounds (1837–1947) |  | |
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| Rivers and Harbors (1883–1947) | ||
| Roads (1913–1947) | ||
| Flood Control (1916–1947) | ||
| Transportation and Infrastructure* (1947–) | ||
| Note | * Alternately namedPublic Works in 80th through 93rd Congresses andPublic Works and Transportation in 94th through 103rd Congresses. | |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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