James Francis Burke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's31st district | |
| In office March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1915 | |
| Preceded by | Henry K. Porter |
| Succeeded by | John M. Morin |
| Chairman of theCollege Republican National Committee | |
| In office 1892–1892 | |
| Preceded by | Inaugural Officeholder |
| Succeeded by | Delmar Hawkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1867-10-21)October 21, 1867 |
| Died | August 8, 1932(1932-08-08) (aged 64) Washington, D.C., US |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Josephine Birch Scott |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan Law School |
James Francis Burke (October 21, 1867 – August 8, 1932) was an American politician, and aRepublican member of theU.S. House of Representatives forPennsylvania.
James Burke was born inPetroleum Center, Pennsylvania toIrish immigrants.[1] He studied law at theUniversity of Michigan atAnn Arbor where he graduated 1892. While at Michigan he organized the American Republican College League, the predecessor to theCollege Republicans. Petitioning then president, RepublicanWilliam McKinley Burke won approval for the organization and hosted an inaugural banquet attended by McKinley along with 1,500 college students[2] The organization quickly spread to almost every college in the country. In 1888, at age 21, Burke was made secretary of the committee in charge of the dedication of the then-newAllegheny County Court House, at which PresidentRutherford B. Hayes made the dedicating address.
After graduating from theUniversity of Michigan, he was admitted to theAllegheny County bar the same year. Subsequently, he was admitted to theSuperior andSupreme courts of Pennsylvania, and later to theUnited States Supreme Court, and commenced practice inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the secretary of theRepublican National Committee in 1892, resigning during the same year to devote his entire time to his duties as president of theAmerican Republican College League.
Burke ran forCongress in 1904 and was elected by a wide majority. He subsequently served five consecutive terms. He was chairman of the congressional committee which inauguratedWilliam Howard Taft as thepresident of the United States.
During his time in Congress, Burke served on a number of committees, including:
He had a hand in a number of important pieces of legislation, including taking an active role in framing theFederal Reserve Act which created theFederal Reserve Bank, America'scentral bank.
In 1905, he was appointed a delegate to the Parliamentary Peace Conference inBrussels in 1905. He was appointed by PresidentBenjamin Harrison to codify the navigation laws of the United States. He was officer of, or a delegate to, theRepublican National Conventions from 1892 to 1924, with the exception of the year 1912.
He was not a candidate for renomination in1914. In December, 1917, he became United States Government Director of War Savings duringWorld War I.
Following his political career, Burke resumed the practice of law, practicing for 10 years as a criminal lawyer at the Allegheny county bar. He was elected General Counsel of theRepublican National Committee in December 1927 and served until his death. He was parliamentarian of theRepublican National Convention atKansas City, Missouri, in 1928.
Burke wrote a number of treatises, including "The Powers of the President", investigating the role of the president during wartime, and a history of the World Peace Conference entitled "Perplexing Problems of the World's Peace Conference".
Burke was an avid golfer and belonged to a number of golf and country clubs. He was founder of theBeaumaris Yacht Club, inBeaumaris, Ontario, where he had a summer house. He may also have been a member of the very exclusive Bath and Tennis Club in Palm Beach, Fl. At one point theUnited States Golf Association asked him to prepare a set of rules which was ultimately presented to the international committee atSt. Andrews inScotland.
In 1895, Burke married Josephine Birch Scott ofDetroit,Michigan, and had two children, James Scott Burke and Josephine Frances Burke. He died inWashington, D.C., and is buried in the Roman CatholicCalvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
pittsburgh and environs.
Pittsburgh Press, Feb 17, 1929, Rep Burke hosted luncheon for Pres-Elect Hoover at the Bath and Tennis Club
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 31st congressional district 1905–1915 | Succeeded by |
| Education and Labor (1867–1883) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Education (1883–1947) | ||
| Labor (1883–1947) | ||
| Education and Labor* (1947–) | ||
| Note | * Alternately namedEconomic and Educational Opportunities in 104th Congress andEducation and the Workforce in 105th through 109th and 112th through 115th Congresses. | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
