Frank Orren Lowden | |
|---|---|
.png) Official portrait,c. 1917 | |
| 25thGovernor of Illinois | |
| In office January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 | |
| Lieutenant | John G. Oglesby |
| Preceded by | Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne |
| Succeeded by | Len Small |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's13th district | |
| In office November 6, 1906 – March 3, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | Robert R. Hitt |
| Succeeded by | John C. McKenzie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Orren Lowden (1861-01-26)January 26, 1861 Sunrise, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | March 20, 1943(1943-03-20) (aged 82) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Resting place | Graceland Cemetery |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Florence Pullman (1896–1937) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Iowa (BA) Northwestern University (LLB) |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | National Guard |
| Years of service | 1898–1903 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | First Regiment Infantry,Illinois National Guard |
| [1][2][3] | |
Frank Orren Lowden (January 26, 1861 – March 20, 1943) was an AmericanRepublican Party politician who served as the25th governor of Illinois and as aUnited States representative fromIllinois. He was also a candidate for the Republican presidential nominations in1920 and1928.
Born inSunrise Township, Minnesota, Lowden practiced law inChicago after graduating from theUniversity of Iowa. He emerged as a local Republican leader and served in the House of Representatives from 1906 to 1911. He served as Governor of Illinois from 1917 to 1921, earning wide notice for his reorganization of state government and his handling of theChicago race riot of 1919.
At the1920 Republican National Convention, Lowden was the preferred candidate of many of the party's conservatives. His supporters coalesced behindWarren G. Harding as a compromise candidate, and Harding won both the nomination and the 1920 presidential election. Lowden was nominated for vice president at the1924 Republican National Convention, but he declined the nomination. Lowden was a candidate for president at the1928 Republican National Convention, butHerbert Hoover won the nomination on the first ballot.
Lowden was born inSunrise Township, Minnesota,[4] the son of Nancy Elizabeth (Breg) and Lorenzo Orren Lowden, a blacksmith. He lived inIowa from the age of seven, on the farm inHardin County, Iowa, in poverty. He attended school when chores on the family farm allowed. At age fifteen he began to teach in aone room school house inHubbard, Iowa. After teaching five years, he entered theUniversity of Iowa at twenty, graduating in 1885. He aspired to be a lawyer, but taughthigh school for a year while learningstenography. That skill got him a job in 1886 at the Dexter law firm inChicago, and he took evening courses at theUnion College of Law, completing the two year curriculum in one year, finishing asvaledictorian in 1887. He wasadmitted to the bar the same year and practiced law in Chicago for about 20 years.[5] His wife, Florence, was the daughter ofGeorge Pullman and namesake of theHotel Florence. In 1898, he enlisted in theIllinois National Guard, rising to the rank oflieutenant colonel of the First Regiment Infantry by 1903. In 1899, he was professor of law atNorthwestern University,Evanston, Illinois.[1][5]
In 1900, Lowden declined the first assistant postmaster-generalship, offered him by PresidentMcKinley, whom he had supported. He was a delegate to theRepublican National Convention in 1900 and 1904, and from 1904 to 1912 was a member of theRepublican National Committee. He was also a member of the executive committee in 1904 and 1908.
Lowden was elected aU.S. Representative fromIllinois in 1906 to fill the unexpired term ofRobert R. Hitt, deceased. He was re-elected for succeeding terms until 1911, when he declined to run for another term.[5]
From 1917 to 1921, he was theGovernor of Illinois. While governor, he won wide notice for the major reorganization of state government he spearheaded. He introduced the budget system for state expenditure, thereby reducing the rate of taxation in spite of rising prices.[5]
He was a strong supporter of the death penalty, and when in 1918 both houses of theIllinois General Assembly voted to abolish capital punishment, he vetoed the bill. He was energetic in marshalling the resources of his state in support of the United States'World War I effort.
In 1917, when themayor of Chicago refused to interfere with a meeting of the People's Council, an organization accused of pro-Germanism, he ordered out the state troops to prevent the meeting. He favouredwoman suffrage and the enforcement of theVolstead Act for war-time prohibition. He was opposed to theLeague of Nations without reservations, on the ground that it would create a super-state.[5] He gained nationwide stature for his handling of theChicago Race Riot of 1919 and a simultaneous transit strike in Chicago.[6]
He was a leading candidate for theRepublicannomination for presidentin 1920. His campaign was embarrassed by reports of profligate spending. His Missouricampaign manager gave out $32,000 to promote his campaign, including $2,500 (a laborer's annual wage) to at least two convention delegates.[7]
Delegates at the Republican convention deadlocked over several ballots between Lowden and GeneralLeonard Wood, resulting in party leaders meeting privately to determine a compromise candidate. Their choice,Warren G. Harding, went on to win the nomination.
Inthe 1924 election, he declined the Republican nomination for vice president. In1928, he again positioned himself to run for theparty's nomination, but he was never much more than a minor threat to front runnerHerbert Hoover, who went on to win the presidential nomination and the election.
_at_Graceland_Cemetery%2c_Chicago.jpg)
In 1933, Lowden was appointed to be one of three receivers for thebankruptChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. He served in this capacity with co-receivers Joseph B. Fleming and James E. Gorman (the latter had been president of the railroad since 1917) until his death in 1943 inTucson, Arizona. His remains are buried inGraceland Cemetery, Chicago.
The following are named after Lowden: Camp Lowden Boy Scout Camp,Lowden State Park and Lowden-Miller State Forest, all near his estate outsideOregon, Illinois; the Frank O. Lowden Homes in Chicago; and two Lowden Halls, located on the campus of the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago andNorthern Illinois University inDeKalb.
A plaque dedicated to Lowden can be found inLowden State Park, in front of a flagpole not far fromIllinois Route 56.[8] It was erected by theHolstein-Friesian Association of America, for which he served as president from 1921 until 1930.[8]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 13th congressional district 1906–1911 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Illinois 1916 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republicannominee forVice President of the United States Withdrew 1924 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Illinois 1917–1921 | Succeeded by |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Cover ofTime 15 October 1923 | Succeeded by |
