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Richard Yates Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Yates in 1901 | |
| 22nd Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 | |
| Lieutenant | William A. Northcott |
| Preceded by | John R. Tanner |
| Succeeded by | Charles S. Deneen |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois'sat-large seat A district | |
| In office March 4, 1919 – March 4, 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Medill McCormick |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Hanna McCormick |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois'sat-large seat B district | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Henry R. Rathbone |
| Succeeded by | Walter Nesbit |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1860-12-12)December 12, 1860 Jacksonville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1936(1936-04-11) (aged 75) Springfield, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Helen Wadsworth |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence(s) | Jacksonville;Springfield;Harbor Springs, Michigan |
| Alma mater | Illinois College University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Attorney;County judge |
| Profession | Politician |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States National Guard |
| Years of service | 1885–1890 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | Illinois |
Richard Yates Jr. (December 12, 1860 – April 11, 1936) was the22nd Governor of Illinois from 1901 to 1905—the first native-born governor of the state. From 1919 to 1933, he served in theU.S. House of Representatives from Illinois.
His father, also Richard Yates, was also an Illinois politician; indeed, the senior Yates was Illinois' popular Civil War governor, and the younger Yates spent a portion of his boyhood living in the Executive Mansion in Springfield, which would one day again be his home. The son was born inJacksonville, Illinois on December 12, 1860.[1] He attended public schools and, from 1870 to 1874, the Illinois Woman's College (nowMacMurray College). He was the city editor of theDaily Courier in 1878 and 1879, and of theDaily Journal from 1881 to 1883. Yates graduated fromIllinois College in Jacksonville in 1880 and from the law department of theUniversity of Michigan atAnn Arbor in 1884. Yates served as a private in Company I, Fifth Infantry,Illinois National Guard from 1885 to 1890. He married Ellen Wadsworth in 1888.[1]
He practiced law in Jacksonville and was city attorney of Jacksonville 1885–1890 and county judge ofMorgan County 1894–1897.[2] From 1897 to 1900, Yates was United States collector of internal revenue for the eighth internal revenue district.
In 1900, Yates was elected governor in his own right while he was not yet 40 years of age. He began his campaign as a "dark horse" under the cloak of neutrality, which won him support from SenatorShelby Moore Cullom's "federal crowd". CongressmanWilliam Lorimer, who had backed another candidate in a field of well-known men, suddenly switched at the Republican convention, grabbing up a Yates banner and proceeding to stampede the convention. The results of the third ballot were never announced; Yates was then nominated on the fourth. The subsequent, decisive election sent Yates to the governor's chair by 61,233 votes over DemocratSamuel Alschuler of Aurora.
The keynote legislation signed during the governorship of Richard Yates was a new child labor law, the first of its kind in any state, restricting the work week of children to no more than 48 hours. Another significant move of the administration was the signing of a bill permitting municipal ownership of street railways. Yates restricted prison industries, but vetoed a bill calling for a centralized audit of all state agencies. The veto is significant in light of the Chicago press of the day. Highly critical of the stylish governor, who retained the parade pomp of John Tanner and his "sunburst colonels", Chicago newspapers alleged that Yates Jr. was compelling state employees to contribute to a slush fund. Further accusations had it that campaign work was compulsory for state employees under Yates.
In 1904, Yates was the first Republican West of the Ohio to declare forTheodore Roosevelt. Yates, despite being a sitting governor, did not receive his party's nomination in 1904; he led the field of six candidates for 58 ballots, before throwing his support behind State's AttorneyCharles S. Deneen in order to prevent the nomination ofFrank O. Lowden, Yates' chief rival at the convention.
In his years prior to Congress, Yates was popular on theChautauqua circuit.[3] In the1906–07 United States Senate election, Yates challenged incumbentShelby Moore Cullom for the Republican nomination. Yates lost the primary and subsequently the Republican caucuses of both houses of theIllinois General Assembly renominated Cullom as the Republican candidate.[4][5] GovernorEdward Fitzsimmons Dunne appointed Yates to the Board of Public Utilities. In 1918, he served as an assistant attorney general in the Office of theIllinois Attorney General.[2]
He was elected to Congress in 1918. Although he failed to receive his party's nomination in 1928 to theSeventy-first Congress, he was later appointed nominee and elected in place ofHenry R. Rathbone who died prior to the election. In 1932, he was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection to theSeventy-third Congress. His final act of service was to cast a vote in 1933 against the repeal of the18th Amendment. After leaving Congress, Yates resided inHarbor Springs, Michigan, andSpringfield, Illinois, while writing his memoirs. He died in Springfield on April 11, 1936, and was buried in Diamond Grove Cemetery, Jacksonville.[6]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Illinois 1900 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Illinois 1901–1905 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's at-large district 1919–1933 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
