 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
William I. Traeger | |
|---|---|
 Traeger in 1933 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's15th district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | John M. Costello |
| 26th Sheriff ofLos Angeles County | |
| In office 1921–1932 | |
| Preceded by | John C. Cline |
| Succeeded by | Eugene W. Biscailuz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1880-02-26)February 26, 1880 Porterville, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 20, 1935(1935-01-20) (aged 54) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Playing career | |
|---|---|
| 1897–1901 | Stanford |
| Position | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1902 | Pomona |
| 1903 | Occidental (assistant) |
| 1906 | Los Angeles HS (CA) |
| 1908 | USC |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 6–3–1 (college) |
William Isham Traeger (February 26, 1880 – January 20, 1935) was an Americanlaw enforcement official who served assheriff ofLos Angeles County from 1921 to 1932, and went on to serve one term as aUnited States Representative fromCalifornia.[1] He was also acollege football coach, serving as head football coach atPomona College in 1902 and theUniversity of Southern California (USC) in 1908.
Traeger was born inPorterville, California,[1] the oldest of five children of Augustus Traeger, ablacksmith who had migrated fromWisconsin in 1872, and his wife Martha Ellen (Dunn) Traeger, who had migrated fromArkansas in 1874. William attended elementary and high schools in Porterville,[1] also assisting his father in his trade; Martha Traeger died in 1895. Traeger served during theSpanish–American War as a private and corporal in the 6th California Volunteer Infantry from May 11 to December 15, 1898.[1]
After the war, Traeger studied law atStanford University, earning his undergraduate degree in 1901.[1] While there, he starred as atackle on thefootball team, kicking afield goal to give Stanford a 5–0 victory overCalifornia in the 1900rivalry game (field goals counted for 5 points until 1904); he wascaptain of the team that played in the firstRose Bowl Game on January 1, 1902, a game in which he tore his shoulder ligament yet continued to play.
In 1902 Traeger moved toLos Angeles, where he helped in various athletic departments, leadingPomona College's football team to a 3–2 record in 1902 and coaching atOccidental College the following year. He served as a deputyUnited States Marshal from April 1903 through 1906 and as adeputy sheriff for Los Angeles County from January 1907 to 1911.[1]
He also worked for ageneral contracting company. While a deputy marshal, he married Alice Collier, who died in 1908 fromtuberculosis.
Traeger attended law school at theUniversity of Southern California.[1] During his time at USC, he served as the head coach of theUSC football team for the1908 season; USC's teams were still called the Methodists before becoming known as the Trojans in 1912. He compiled a 3–1–1 record while coaching at USC; the schedule was entirely against southern California teams, including games againstPomona andOccidental as well asLos Angeles High School, a team he had coached in 1906, and aSan Bernardino County athletic club, the only contest outside L.A. County. He was succeeded in 1909 by famous track coachDean Cromwell.[2]
Traeger was admitted to the bar in California in 1909, and began private practice. In 1911, be began serving asdeputy clerk for theSupreme Court of California, a position he would hold until 1921.[1] DuringWorld War I he enlisted in theArmy and served at an officer's training camp.
In 1921, Traeger was appointed Sheriff of Los Angeles County; he was elected to 4-year terms in 1922, 1926 and 1930, serving until December 1932. During his time in office, he reorganized the county jail, established the county's honor camps for first-time misdemeanor offenders, and started the employment contact office which helped prisoners find employment after their release. In 1929 he became the first president of the Los Angeles County Peace Officers' Association.
In 1932,Traeger was elected as a Republican to the73rd United States Congress (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935)[1] despite the Democratic landslide which occurred that year. He lost his reelection bid toJohn M. Costello in1934.
Traeger died at age 54 of a liver disorder at theWadsworth Hospital in Los Angeles, two weeks after leaving office; he had become ill in late December. He was survived by his second wife, the former Ruth McAllister, a schoolteacher he had married in 1912, and by one daughter from each marriage.[3]
Traeger was interred atRosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William I. Traeger | 67,390 | 52.8 | ||
| Democratic | John M. Costello | 57,518 | 45.1 | ||
| No party | Errol Shour (write-in) | 2,721 | 2.1 | ||
| Total votes | 127,663 | 100.0 | |||
| Turnout | |||||
| Republicanwin (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John M. Costello | 67,247 | 50.5 | |||
| Republican | William I. Traeger (Incumbent) | 65,858 | 49.5 | |||
| Total votes | 133,161 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomona Sagehens(Independent)(1902) | |||||||||
| 1902 | Pomona | 3–2 | |||||||
| Pomona: | 3–2 | ||||||||
| USC Methodists(Independent)(1908) | |||||||||
| 1908 | USC | 3–1–1 | |||||||
| USC: | 3–1–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 6–3–1 | ||||||||
Woolwine's subsequent crackdown on the Klan in L.A. County uncovered the fact that Sheriff William Traeger and L.A. Police Chief Louis D. Oaks were both KKK members. Both said they had resigned from the organization.
| Police appointments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Sheriff of Los Angeles County 1921–1932 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by District created | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 15th congressional district 1933–1935 | Succeeded by |
