Francis Shoemaker
Shoemaker in 1934
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMinnesota'sat-large district
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	District abolished
Personal details
Born	Francis Henry Shoemaker (1889-04-25)April 25, 1889 Flora Township,Minnesota, U.S.
Died	July 24, 1958(1958-07-24) (aged 69) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Farmer–Labor
Other political affiliations	Nonpartisan League Progressive[1]
Spouse	Lydgia Schneider ​ ​ (m. 1912; div. 1934)​

Francis Henry Shoemaker (April 25, 1889 – July 24, 1958) was aU.S. Representative fromMinnesota.

Shoemaker was born on a farm inFlora Township,Renville County, Minnesota, and was self-educated with his mother’s assistance. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and worked for many farm and labor organizations. He was a charter member and organizer of theMinnesota Farmer-Labor Party.

In 1920, while Shoemaker was an organizer for theNonpartisan League, he was criticized by Harry Milford, the pastor of his church. Shoemaker had claimed that he was drafted despite not being physically fit to enter the army and having a dependent wife, being the only married man in the area to be so. Shoemaker said that he would not appeal the decision, but would gain retribution after returning. Milford stated that other married men were drafted, Shoemaker was deemed physically fit, and had filed an appeal to the draft board.^[2]

In 1924 he assisted in organizing theFederated Farmer-Labor Party atChicago in 1924. Shoemaker was nominated forVice President of the United States, but declined to run. He served as editor and publisher of the People’s Voice, Green Bay Farmer, and Progressive Farmer newspapers inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, from 1921 to 1927, and of the Organized Farmer newspaper inRed Wing, Minnesota in 1928.^[3] In 1931 he served nine months atLeavenworth Penitentiary after being convicted for a federal charge of sending defamatory material through the mail and for violation of his probation.^[4][5]

Shoemaker was elected as a Farmer-Laborite to the73rd congress. A House vote was held to determine whether or not toseat him and he was permitted retain his seat with 230 votes in his favor against 75 votes.^[6] During his tenure Shoemaker filed an impeachment resolution againstUnited States District JudgeJoseph W. Molyneaux which amounted to little.^[7][8] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1934 to the74th congress, but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination for Minnesota'sSenate seat, but lost in the primary to incumbentHenrik Shipstead.

While a sitting member of Congress, he was arrested outside of his House office by two detectives, serving a warrant for assaulting a taxi driver.^[9]

After twenty two years of marriage Shoemaker's wife, Lydgia Schneider, filed for divorce in 1934, due to him openly committing adultery and threatening her.^[10] In 1940 Shoemaker was sent to jail for 90 days after assaulting a neighbor and being accused of throwing hot water into his former wife's face.^[11] Later he filed to run in the Farmer-Labor primary for Minnesota's seventh congressional district, but came in last place with 11% of the vote.^[12]

He then became an unsuccessful Independent candidate for reelection to the74th congress. After an unsuccessful election campaign in 1942 to the78th congress, he resumed agricultural pursuits near NorthRedwood, Minnesota. He died at University of Minnesota Hospitals inMinneapolis on July 24, 1958, and was buried in Zion Cemetery in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota.^[13]

• List of federal political scandals in the United States

• United States Congress."Francis Shoemaker (id: S000374)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• Francis H. Shoemaker in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
• A ‘psychopath’ goes to Washington in Minnesota Lawyer

• 1889 births
• 1958 deaths
• Businesspeople from Minnesota
• Editors of Minnesota newspapers
• Editors of Wisconsin newspapers
• Farmer–Labor Party United States representatives
• United States representatives from Minnesota
• Minnesota Farmer–Laborites
• People from Red Wing, Minnesota
• People from Redwood Falls, Minnesota
• People from Renville County, Minnesota
• Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 20th-century American businesspeople
• 20th-century United States representatives

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Template:Succession box: 'after' parameter includes the word 'abolished'
• S-aft: 'after' parameter includes the word 'abolished'