Gilbert Hitchcock | |
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| ActingChairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus | |
| In office November 12, 1919 – April 27, 1920 | |
| Deputy | Peter G. Gerry |
| Preceded by | Thomas S. Martin |
| Succeeded by | Oscar Underwood (Senate Democratic Leader) |
| United States Senator fromNebraska | |
| In office March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1923 | |
| Preceded by | Elmer Burkett |
| Succeeded by | Robert B. Howell |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNebraska's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | John L. Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Charles O. Lobeck |
| In office March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | David Henry Mercer |
| Succeeded by | John L. Kennedy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gilbert Monell Hitchcock (1859-09-18)September 18, 1859 |
| Died | February 3, 1934(1934-02-03) (aged 74) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Lorenzo Crounse (Father-in-law) |
| Education | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (LLB) |
Gilbert Hitchcock speaks about World War I and his support for the creation of theLeague of Nations (recordedc. 1920) | |
Gilbert Monell Hitchcock (September 18, 1859 – February 3, 1934) was an Americancongressman andU.S. Senator fromNebraska, and the founder of theOmaha World-Herald newspaper.[1]
Born inOmaha, Nebraska, Hitchcock was the son of U.S. SenatorPhineas Warren Hitchcock of Nebraska. He attended the public schools of Omaha and the gymnasium atBaden-Baden, Germany. He graduated in 1881 from the law department of theUniversity of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was admitted to theZeta Psi fraternity;[2] he was then admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Omaha in 1882. He continued the practice of law until 1885, when he established and edited theOmaha Evening World; four years later, he purchased theNebraska Morning Herald and consolidated the two into the morning and evening editions of theOmaha World-Herald.[3]
On August 30, 1883, he married Jessie Crounse,[4] the daughter ofNebraska Supreme Court justice and future governorLorenzo Crounse.
His first wife died on May 8, 1925, and on June 1, 1927, he married Martha Harris, of Memphis, TN.[4]
His family had traditionally beenRepublicans, but Gilbert broke tradition and became aDemocrat in response to agricultural issues and the leadership of fellow NebraskanWilliam Jennings Bryan.[5]
Hitchcock was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for theUnited States House of Representatives in1898.Four years later, he ran again, and this time was successful, serving from 1903 to 1905. He lost reelection after one term in1904, but returned to Congress in1906, serving two more terms from 1907 to 1911.
Hitchcock did not seek reelection to the House in1910, instead choosing to run for theUnited States Senate. He was elected to the Senate by the legislature on January 18, 1911. His election made him the first Democrat to ever be elected or serve as a Senator from Nebraska. He was reelected in1916, making him the first person popularly-elected to the Senate from Nebraska after the ratification of theSeventeenth Amendment. During his two terms, he was the chairman of the Committee on the Philippines from 1913 to 1918, theCommittee on Foreign Relations from 1918 to 1919, and the Committee on Forest Reservations and Game Protection from 1919 to 1921. As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he was a leading advocate of theLeague of Nations[5] and theTreaty of Versailles.[6]
Hitchcock lost his bid for a third Senate term to RepublicanRobert B. Howell in1922. After the end of his Senate service, he resumed newspaper work in Omaha. In1930, he ran to return to the Senate, but was soundly defeated by incumbent RepublicanGeorge W. Norris. Hitchcock retired from active business in 1933 and moved toWashington, D.C., where he died on February 3, 1934.[1] He was interred inForest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha. Gilbert M. Hitchcock Elementary School and Hitchcock Park in Omaha were named in his honor.[7]
The newspaper was then led by his son-in-lawHenry Doorly, husband of Hitchcock's daughter Margaret.
Collections of Senator Hitchcock's papers are housed at theLibrary of Congress andNebraska State Historical Society.[8][9]
In 1984 Hitchcock was inducted into theNebraska Hall of Fame.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNebraska's 2nd congressional district 1903–1905 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNebraska's 2nd congressional district 1907–1911 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Nebraska 1911–1923 Served alongside:Norris Brown,George W. Norris | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Philippines Committee 1913–1918 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Foreign Relations Committee 1918–1919 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Forest Reservations Committee 1919–1921 | Position abolished |
| Party political offices | ||
| First | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromNebraska (Class 1) 1916,1922 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Democratic Caucus (Acting) 1919–1920 | Succeeded byasSenate Democratic Leader |
| Preceded by J. J. Thomas | Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Nebraska 1930 | Succeeded by |
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| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
