H. A. Elliott

Harold A. Elliott was an American lawyer and politician from Arizona. He served several terms in the Arizona State Senate from the 4th Arizona State Legislature through the 7th Arizona State Legislature.[1] He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, and became an attorney, eventually becoming Phelps Dodge's chief counsel.

H. A. Elliott
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the Greenlee County district
In office
January 1919  December 1926
Preceded byW. D. Whipple
Succeeded byHarry W. Hill
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionPolitician

Biography

Elliott was born in Santa Monica, California on February 22, 1890. As a child, he moved with hit parents to Prescott, Arizona, and he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School[2]

After graduating from law school in 1912, he moved back to Arizona and accepted a position as a clerk in the offices of Ellinwood and Ross in Bisbee.[3][4] In October he was admitted to the Arizona Bar after passing his exams. He was authorized to practice in front of both the superior and federal courts.[5] In 1913, Elliott left Ellinwood and Ross and went to work for the Arizona Copper Company in Clifton.[6][7] On November 21, 1913, he married Grace A. Roberts of Tucson. The couple returned to Clifton, where Elliot was practicing law, to reside.[7] The Couple had one son, John R. Elliott.[8] In July 1918, Elliott announced his intention to run for the single seat from Greenlee County to the Arizona State Senate.[9] He narrowly defeated A. R. Lynch in the Democrat's primary, and then ran unopposed in November's general election.[10][11] In 1920 he ran for re-election, unopposed in both the primary and general elections.[12][13]

In 1921, the Arizona Copper Company was taken over by the Phelps Dodge Corporation and became known as the Morenci branch of the corporation. Elliott became the attorney for that branch.[14][15] In June 1922 Elliot again announced that he was running for re-election.[16] He ran unopposed in the primary, and then easily defeated his Republican opponent, Dell M. Potter, in November's general election.[17][18]

During the 1922 session of the state legislature, Elliott authored Senate Bill 43 (SB 43), which became known as the state finance code. The law revamped the financial systems and the methods of accounting used by the state, putting them more along the lines of an actual business.[19][20][21] As such, Elliott became known as the "father of the financial code."[22][23] With its passage, Arizona became only the fourth state in the nation to adopt a financial code, following Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Even though Elliott was a Democrat, the bill was known as a Republican measure.[24]

In 1924, he once again won re-election for the State Senate.[25][26] By 1927, Elliott was the chief counsel for Phelps Dodge.[27]

In 1933, Governor Moeur appointed Elliott to the Arizona Colorado River Commission.[28] On September 22, 1939, while on a business trip to New Mexico, Elliott died of a heart attack in a Hot Springs hospital.[2] Prior to entering the hospital, Elliott had apparently been a fight in a bar, during which he received several injuries. However, an investigation revealed that the injuries were not life-threatening, and that they did not lead to the heart attack.[29]

References

  1. "History of the Arizona State Legislature 1912–1966". State of Arizona. p. 82. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  2. "Harold Elliott Dies After A Heart Attack". Arizona Republic. September 23, 1939. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. "Comes From Prescott". Bisbee Daily Review. April 9, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Personal Mention". Bisbee Daily Review. October 12, 1912. p. 2. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "Brief Local Mentions". Bisbee Daily Review. October 30, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. "New Smelter Will Help Clifton Much". Bisbee Daily Review. April 4, 1913. p. 5. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "Tucson Girl Weds Clifton Lawyer". Arizona Daily Star. November 22, 1913. p. 6. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. "Engagement Told At Tea". Arizona Republic. May 17, 1936. p. 19. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. "For State Senate". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. July 19, 1918. p. 5. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  10. "Official Primary Results". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. September 20, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. "General Election Returns For Greenlee County, Nov. 5, 18". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. November 29, 1918. p. 7. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. "Official Primary Election Returns". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. September 17, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. "Official Proceedings, Board Of Supervisors, Greenlee County". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. November 26, 1920. p. 2. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. "Back From Phoenix". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. August 22, 1922. p. 11. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  15. "Phelps Dodge Shows Big Loss For 1921 Year". The Wall Street Journal. April 12, 1922. p. 9. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  16. "For State Senator". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. June 9, 1922. p. 3. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  17. "Ward Petition Has Most Names Of Any State Candidate". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. August 18, 1922. p. 8. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  18. "Official Returns Of Election Nov. 7". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. November 22, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  19. "Stupendous Savings Of Public Monies By State And National Administrations, G. O. P. Record". The Tucson Citizen. September 28, 1922. p. 8. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  20. "Senator Elliott Explains How Finance Code Affects Arizona". The Tucson Citizen. April 20, 1922. p. 8. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  21. "Pure Democracy Vs. Huntism". The Copper Era and Morenci Leader. September 8, 1922. p. 4. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  22. "Arizona Gets Report On Debt: $42,662,110 Outstanding Bonds; State's Share Alone $812,972". Tombstone Weekly Epitaph. December 24, 1922. p. 7. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  23. "Bonded Debt Of 14 Counties And State $42,662,110". Arizona Daily Star. December 17, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  24. "The Financial Code Again". The Arizona Republican. August 17, 1922. p. 4. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  25. "Greenlee Board Gives Result Of County Primary". The Arizona Republican. September 20, 1924. p. 14. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  26. "Session laws, State of Arizona, 1925, Seventh Legislature, Regular Session". State of Arizona. p. ix. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  27. "Elliott Tells Court That Carson's Patents Are Same As Those of Other Inventors". The Tucson Citizen. September 27, 1927. p. 2. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  28. "H. A. Elliott Appointed To River Group". Arizona Republic. November 11, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
  29. "Elliott Death Probe Closed". Arizona Republic. September 26, 1939. p. 15. Retrieved July 18, 2022 via Newspapers.com. open access
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