Rush Limbaugh Sr.
Rush Hudson Limbaugh I (September 27, 1891 – April 8, 1996) was an American legislator, and ambassador. His legal career spanned nearly 80 years, and he argued cases before the Missouri Supreme Court, Internal Revenue Service Appellate Division, Interstate Commerce Commission, and National Labor Relations Board.
Rush Limbaugh Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the Cape Girardeau County district | |
| In office 1931–1932 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rush Hudson Limbaugh September 27, 1891 Bollinger County, Missouri |
| Died | April 8, 1996 (aged 104) Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Beulah Maude Seabaugh |
| Children | Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. |
| Relatives | Limbaugh family |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri |
| Occupation | Jurist, lawyer, legislator, ambassador |
Biography
Early years
Limbaugh was born near Sedgewickville, Missouri, in Bollinger County, Missouri, the son of Susan Frances (Presnell) and Joseph Headley Limbaugh. He was of part German ancestry.[1] He was initially educated in a one-room schoolhouse near his family farm. In 1914, he entered the University of Missouri School of Law following his attendance at the University of Missouri, and although he did not complete law school, he was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1916.
Career
Limbaugh was the city attorney for Cape Girardeau, Missouri, from 1917 till 1919. He began to take an active interest in politics during this period and in 1919 was among those signing a convention call to establish a new progressive political organization, the Committee of 48.[2]
Limbaugh began his own law firm in 1923. He served as city councilor of Cape Girardeau from 1924 until 1930. He served in the Missouri State Legislature as a Republican from 1931 to 1932,[3] and during his service advocated the consolidation of Missouri school districts and the formation of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Limbaugh was Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (1954–1955) and President of the Missouri Bar (1955–1956).[4] He also served as an ambassador for the U.S. legal system to India during the 1950s. When he retired from his law practice at age 102, he was reportedly the oldest practicing attorney in the United States.[5]
In addition to his legal career, Limbaugh was active in civic affairs. He was involved in the early development of Southeast Missouri Hospital, was active with the Boy Scout movement and worked with the Salvation Army for nearly fifty years.[6]
Death and legacy
Rush Limbaugh Sr. died on April 8, 1996. He was 104 years old at the time of his death.
Limbaugh's descendants include jurists Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr., Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., and grandsons[7] radio commentator Rush H. Limbaugh III and attorney and political commentator David Limbaugh.
In 2007, the Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. United States Courthouse located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was named after him[8] by the 110th United States Congress via Public Law 110-13.
See also
References
- "Ancestry of Rush Limbaugh". wargs.com. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- The Committee of Forty-Eight: For a Conference of Americans Who are Equally Opposed to Reaction and Violent Revolution: Its Purposes – And the Reasons for It. The committee of 48 organized to combat the conservative movement in both Republicans and Democrats of the time. New York: The Committee of Forty-Eight, n.d. [1919]; p. 6.
- Charles U. Becker. Official Manual State of Missouri 1931–1932. Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri Secretary of State. p. 87.
- "Past Presidents of the Missouri Bar". The Missouri Bar. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- Chafets, Zev (2010). Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One. New York City: Sentinel. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-5952-3063-8.
- Boman, Dennis K. (2012). The Original Rush Limbaugh : Lawyer, Legislator, And Civil Libertarian. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-8262-1980-0.
- Greg Sellnow, "My Brush with the Limbaugh Clan," Rochester (MN) Post-Bulletin, July 28, 2011.
- "Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse". United States General Services Administration. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
Further reading
- Bliss, Mark. "Limbaughs are Cape Girardeau's own 'first family'", Southeast Missourian, October 3, 2004.
- Oberstar, Jim (February 12, 2007). "House Report 110-010". Archived from the original on December 12, 2012.
- Bliss, Mark. "Court staff will be able to work up a sweat with exercise rooms", Southeast Missourian, March 10, 2007.
- Limbaugh, Stephen N. (2003). Rush Hudson Limbaugh and His Times: Reflections on a Life Well Lived. Suggs, George G. (Ed.). Southeast Missouri State University Press. ISBN 0-9724304-2-3.