William Josiah MacDonald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's12th district | |
| In office August 26, 1913 – March 3, 1915 | |
| Preceded by | H. Olin Young |
| Succeeded by | W. Frank James |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1873-11-17)November 17, 1873 Potosi, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | March 29, 1946(1946-03-29) (aged 72) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Progressive |
| Education | University of Minnesota Georgetown Law School |
William Josiah MacDonald (November 17, 1873 – March 29, 1946) was a politician from theU.S. state ofMichigan.
MacDonald was born inPotosi, Wisconsin. He attended the common schools and graduated from the high school atFairmont, Minnesota. He attended theUniversity of Minnesota atMinneapolis andGeorgetown Law School inWashington, D.C. He was admitted to thebar and commenced practice atCalumet, Michigan in 1895. He served as prosecuting attorney forKeweenaw County from 1898 to 1904 and prosecuting attorney forHoughton County from 1906 to 1912. In 1911, he was an unsuccessful candidate forcircuit judge in the 12th District of Michigan.
In 1912, MacDonald ran as a candidate for theProgressive Party against incumbentRepublicanH. Olin Young to theUnited States House of Representatives from theMichigan's 12th congressional district. Although unofficial returns showed that MacDonald had won the seat, some votes were not included in the official count by the state board of canvassers due to a mistake in how MacDonald's name appeared on the ballot inOntonagon County.[1][2] H. Olin Young presented credentials as a Member-elect to the63rd United States Congress and served from March 4, 1913, until his resignation, effective May 16, 1913, while a contest for the seat was pending. Subsequently, theHouse Committee on Elections unanimously reported a resolution to the full house awarding the 12th District seat to MacDonald, who took the oath of office August 26, 1913[3] and served until March 3, 1915.[4][5] In 1914 and again in 1916, MacDonald lost to RepublicanWilliam F. James. MacDonald andRoy O. Woodruff (10th district) were the only two Michigan residents elected to the U.S. House from the Progressive Party.
MacDonald resumed the practice of law inSpringfield, Illinois in 1917. He moved toEast St. Louis, Illinois in 1922 and engaged in the practice of his profession.[4] William J. MacDonald died inChicago[4] and was interred inGraceland Cemetery, Chicago.[5]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Representative for the 12th Congressional District of Michigan 1913–1915 | Succeeded by |
