Roscoe C. Patterson

Roscoe Conkling Patterson (September 15, 1876 – October 22, 1954) was an American lawyer from Missouri. He was most notable for his service as a United States representative (1921–1923) and a U.S. Senator (1929–1935).

Roscoe C. Patterson
United States Senator
from Missouri
In office
March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1935
Preceded byJames A. Reed
Succeeded byHarry S. Truman
United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri
In office
December 21, 1925 – February 28, 1929
Preceded byCharles C. Madison
Succeeded byWilliam L. Vandeventer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1923
Preceded bySamuel C. Major
Succeeded bySamuel C. Major
Personal details
Born
Roscoe Conkling Patterson

(1876-09-15)September 15, 1876
Springfield, Missouri
DiedOctober 22, 1954(1954-10-22) (aged 78)
Springfield, Missouri
Resting placeMaple Park Cemetery, Springfield, Missouri
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAda Holman
Children2
Alma materWashington University in St. Louis
ProfessionAttorney

Early life

Patterson was born in Springfield, Missouri on September 15, 1876.[1] He attended public and private schools, Drury College, (Springfield) and the University of Missouri in Columbia.[1] He graduated from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in 1897, was admitted to the bar later that year, and commenced practice in Springfield.[1]

Start of career

From 1903 to 1907, Patterson served as prosecuting attorney of Greene County.[1] In 1912, Patterson was appointed to the Missouri Republican State Committee, and he served until 1920.[1]

Patterson was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1920 and served in the 67th Congress, March 4, 1921 to March 3, 1923.[1] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922 and resumed the practice of law in Springfield.[1] He was a presidential elector in 1924.[2]

From 1925 to 1929, Patterson resided in Kansas City, Missouri and was United States district attorney for the western district of Missouri.[1] He resigned in February 1929 in preparation to assume the seat in the United States Senate to which he was elected in November 1928.[1]

U.S. Senate

Patterson won the general election in November 1928.[1] He took his Senate seat the following year and served one term, March 4, 1929 to January 3, 1935.[1] While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Mines and Mining (72nd Congress).[3] His chief legislative accomplishment was sponsorship of the Lindbergh Law, which enabled federal authorities to investigate kidnappings if the victims were transported across state lines.[1]

Patterson served during the Great Depression, which was largely blamed on Republican economic policies.[1] He consistently opposed the New Deal remedies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which made him unpopular in Missouri.[1] As a result, Patterson was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in the 1934 election, losing the general election to the Democratic nominee, Harry S. Truman.[1]

Later career

After leaving the Senate, Patterson resumed the practice of law in Springfield.[4] For several years, Patterson was a member of the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission.[5]

Death and burial

Patterson suffered a stroke in July 1954.[4] His health deteriorated and he died in Springfield on October 22, 1954.[4] He was buried at Maple Park Cemetery in Springfield.[6]

Family

Patterson was married to Ada Holman of Springfield (1877–1957).[7] They were the parents of two children, Paul (1902–1924)[8] and Hadley (1908–1958).[9]

References
  1. Christensen, p. 598.
  2. Barrett, p. 20.
  3. Senate, p. 110.
  4. Christensen, p. 599.
  5. Toberman, p. 286.
  6. Spencer, p. 131.
  7. Leader-Press, p. 11.
  8. Republican, p. 6.
  9. News-Leader, p. 1.

Sources

Books
  • Barrett, Paul W.; Barrett, Mary H. (1988). Young Brothers Massacre. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-0650-3.
  • Christensen, Lawrence O.; Foley, William E.; Kremer, Gary, eds. (1999). Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-6016-1.
  • Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-8063-4823-0.
  • Toberman, Walter H. (1951). Official Manual of the State of Missouri. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Secretary of State.
  • U.S. Senate Committee on Mines and Mining (1932). Hearing Record: To Create a Bituminous Coal Commission. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Newspapers
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.