Thomas Jenckes

Thomas Allen Jenckes I (November 2, 1818 – November 4, 1875) was a United States representative from Rhode Island. Jenckes was best known for introducing a bill that created the United States Department of Justice. President Ulysses S. Grant then signed the bill into law on June 22, 1870. Jenckes was also an avid supporter of civil service reform.

Thomas A. Jenckes
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Rhode Island's 1st district
In office
March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1871
Preceded byWilliam Paine Sheffield, Sr.
Succeeded byBenjamin T. Eames
Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives
In office
1854–1857
Personal details
Born(1818-11-02)November 2, 1818
Cumberland, Rhode Island
DiedNovember 4, 1875(1875-11-04) (aged 57)
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Resting placeSwan Point Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
Alma materBrown University
OccupationLawyer
Signature

Biography

Thomas Jenckes was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island on November 2, 1818.[1] He graduated from Brown University in 1838. Jenckes was admitted to the Rhode Island state bar in 1840. He was clerk in the Rhode Island state legislature from 1840 until 1844. From 1854 until 1857 he was a member of the State house of representatives. He was elected as Republican to the United States Congress in 1863 and served until 1871 when he lost a bid for reelection. He then resumed the practice of law in Cumberland.

U.S. House of Representatives

Jenckes was first elected to the U.S. House in 1863, defeating Democratic opponent Charles J. Bradley by seventeen percentage points.[2] He was subsequently re-elected three times by landslide margins.[3][4]

During his House tenure, Jenckes was mostly known for introducing legislation which created the United States Department of Justice.[5] Contrary to some narratives that suggest this was an effort to bolster Reconstruction policies during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant and safeguard the constitutional rights of blacks, it was primarily for the purpose of professionalizing legal practice.[6] Indeed, Jenckes "paid little attention" to protecting Southern blacks.[5]

Considered a "reformer," Jenckes was an early advocate of civil service reform[7] and known as "the father of civil service."[5] When he introduced legislation pushing it, fierce opposition was met by Radical Republican colleague John A. Logan of Illinois,[8] who was concerned with the plight of Southern blacks and called the bill "probably unconstitutional."[9] The enactment of a civil service system to replace the traditional spoils system would prevent Republicans from utilizing patronage to benefit blacks, and it was later implemented via the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act years after Jenckes left office.[10]

Having prosecuted fraud implicated in the Credit Mobilier scandal, Jenckes' tenure was also marked by his revisions of bankruptcy law and involvement in cases related to Goodyear rubber, the Corliss steam engine, in addition to patents pertaining to refrigeration and ventilation.[7]

In the 1870 United States House of Representatives elections, Jenckes was defeated by fellow Republican Benjamin T. Eames.[11]

Death

Jenckes died in Cumberland, Rhode Island on November 4, 1875, and is interred at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.[1][12]

References
  1. Johnson, Rossiter; Brown, John Howard, eds. (1904). The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. VI. Boston: The Biographical Society. Retrieved April 28, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
  2. RI - Eastern District Race - Apr 01, 1863. Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  3. Candidate - Thomas A. Jenckes. Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  4. April 6, 1865. The Rhode Island Election. The New York Times. Archived version available here. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  5. Shugerman, Jed H. (March 21, 2013). The Creation of the Department of Justice: Professionalization Without Civil Rights or Civil Service. The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  6. Freilach, Jennifer (April 6, 2017). When Was the Department of Justice Established? History News Network. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  7. Thomas A. Jenckes Papers: A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress. Library of Congress. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  8. Jones, John Pickett (1982). John A. Logan: Stalwart Republican from Illinois, p. 21. Google Books. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  9. John A. Logan: Stalwart Republican from Illinois, p. 34
  10. Matthews, Dylan (July 20, 2016). Donald Trump and Chris Christie are reportedly planning to purge the civil service. Vox. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  11. RI - Eastern District Race - Nov 08, 1870. Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  12. Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried: A Directory Containing More Than Twenty Thousand Names of Notable Persons Buried in American Cemeteries, with Listings of Many Prominent People who Were Cremated. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 296. ISBN 9780806348230.

Further reading
  • Ari Hoogenboom, "Thomas A. Jenckes and Civil Service Reform," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, vol. 47, no. 4 (March 1961), pp. 636–658. In JSTOR
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