Dewey Jackson Short
Encyclopedia
Dewey Jackson Short was a Republican
U.S. Representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district
for 12 terms and a staunch opponent of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal
.
on April 7, 1898 to Jackson Grant Short and Permelia C. Long. Short attended Galena High School and Marionville College. He served in the infantry during World War I
and graduated from Baker University
in 1919 and from Boston University
in 1922. Short also attended Harvard University
, Heidelberg University, the University of Berlin, and Oxford University. He was a professor of ethics
, psychology
, and political philosophy
at Southwestern College
in Winfield, Kansas
in 1923, 1924, and 1926-1928. Short was a pastor of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, Springfield, Missouri
, in 1927. He married Helen Gladys Hughes of Washington, DC, on April 20, 1937. The couple had no children.
to the Seventy-first Congress
(March 4, 1929-March 3, 1931) and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress
. He resumed his former professional pursuits and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
in 1932. Short was an unsuccessful candidate in 1932 for nomination to the United States Senate
but was elected to the Seventy-fourth Congress
and the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935-January 3, 1957). At the 1940 Republican National Convention
, he received 108 delegate votes for the party's vice presidential
nomination and was the runner-up to the eventual nominee, Charles L. McNary
.
Short served as chairman of the Committee on Armed Services in the Eighty-third Congress
. On April 30, 1955 he was presented with an Honorary Ozark Hillbilly Medallion by the Springfield, Missouri
Chamber of Commerce during ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
.
Short was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1956 to the Eighty-fifth Congress
. He was defeated by Charles H. Brown, the vote being 90,986 for Brown to 89,926 for Short. In 1945 he had served as a congressional delegate to inspect concentration camps in Germany
. Short served as Assistant Secretary of the Army
from March 15, 1957, to January 20, 1961 and was later President Emeritus of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress. Short died in Washington, D.C.
on November 19, 1979 and was interred in Galena Cemetery, Galena, Missouri.
Richard Nixon
cited Short as perhaps the finest orator he had ever seen in his book, In the Arena.
--- Delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 23, 1935.
"Mr. Jefferson founded the Democratic Party and President Roosevelt has dumfounded it."
"I have always been old-fashioned enough to believe it is much better to 'git up and get' than it is to 'sit down and set.' The only animal I know which can sit and still produce dividends is the old hen."
"I know that without change there would be no progress, but I am not going to mistake mere change for progress."
"I look at the Supreme Court and know why Jesus wept."
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district
Missouri's 7th congressional district
Missouri's 7th congressional district consists of Southwest Missouri. The district includes Springfield, the home of Missouri State University , and the popular tourist destination city of Branson...
for 12 terms and a staunch opponent of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
.
Early life
Short was born in Galena, MissouriGalena, Missouri
Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County. Galena is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
on April 7, 1898 to Jackson Grant Short and Permelia C. Long. Short attended Galena High School and Marionville College. He served in the infantry during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and graduated from Baker University
Baker University
Baker University is a private, residential university located in Baldwin City, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools...
in 1919 and from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1922. Short also attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Heidelberg University, the University of Berlin, and Oxford University. He was a professor of ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
at Southwestern College
Southwestern College (Kansas)
Southwestern College is a four-year private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Winfield, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1885 and graduated its first class in 1889. In addition to its campus programs, it offers online programs.-Academics:The main campus is a...
in Winfield, Kansas
Winfield, Kansas
Winfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301...
in 1923, 1924, and 1926-1928. Short was a pastor of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, in 1927. He married Helen Gladys Hughes of Washington, DC, on April 20, 1937. The couple had no children.
Politics
Short was elected as a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Seventy-first Congress
71st United States Congress
The Seventy-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1929 to March 4, 1931, during the first two years...
(March 4, 1929-March 3, 1931) and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1930 to the Seventy-second Congress
72nd United States Congress
The Seventy-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 to March 4, 1933, during the last two years...
. He resumed his former professional pursuits and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1932. Short was an unsuccessful candidate in 1932 for nomination to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
but was elected to the Seventy-fourth Congress
74th United States Congress
-House:Also 2 Delegates, 3 Resident Commissioners-Senate:*President of the Senate: John N. Garner *President pro tempore: Key Pittman -Majority leadership:*Majority leader: Joseph T. Robinson...
and the ten succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935-January 3, 1957). At the 1940 Republican National Convention
1940 Republican National Convention
The 1940 Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 24 to June 28, 1940. It nominated Wendell Willkie of Indiana for President and Senator Charles McNary of Oregon for Vice-President....
, he received 108 delegate votes for the party's vice presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nomination and was the runner-up to the eventual nominee, Charles L. McNary
Charles L. McNary
Charles Linza McNary was a United States Republican politician from Oregon. He served in the Senate from 1917 to 1944, and was Senate Minority Leader from 1933 to 1944. In the Senate, McNary helped to pass legislation that led to the construction of Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, and worked...
.
Short served as chairman of the Committee on Armed Services in the Eighty-third Congress
83rd United States Congress
The Eighty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1955, during the first two years...
. On April 30, 1955 he was presented with an Honorary Ozark Hillbilly Medallion by the Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
Chamber of Commerce during ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
.
Short was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1956 to the Eighty-fifth Congress
85th United States Congress
The Eighty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth...
. He was defeated by Charles H. Brown, the vote being 90,986 for Brown to 89,926 for Short. In 1945 he had served as a congressional delegate to inspect concentration camps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Short served as Assistant Secretary of the Army
Assistant Secretary of the Army
Assistant Secretary of the Army is a title used to describe various civilian officials in the United States Department of the Army.-Present Assistant Secretaries of the Army:...
from March 15, 1957, to January 20, 1961 and was later President Emeritus of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress. Short died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on November 19, 1979 and was interred in Galena Cemetery, Galena, Missouri.
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
cited Short as perhaps the finest orator he had ever seen in his book, In the Arena.
Quotes
"I deeply and sincerely regret that this body has degenerated into a supine, subservient, soporific, superfluous, supercilious,pusillanimous body of nitwits, the greatest ever gathered beneath the dome of our National Capitol, who cowardly abdicate their powers and, in violation of their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution against all of the Nation's enemies, both foreign and domestic, turn over these constitutional prerogatives, not only granted but imposed upon them,to a group of tax-eating, conceited autocratic bureaucrats a bunch of theoretical, intellectual, professorial nincompoops out of Columbia University, at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue who were never elected by the American people to any office and who are responsible to no constituency. These brain trusters and 'new dealers' are the ones who wrote this resolution, instead of the Members of this House whose duty it is, and whose sole duty it is, to draft legislation."--- Delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 23, 1935.
"Mr. Jefferson founded the Democratic Party and President Roosevelt has dumfounded it."
"I have always been old-fashioned enough to believe it is much better to 'git up and get' than it is to 'sit down and set.' The only animal I know which can sit and still produce dividends is the old hen."
"I know that without change there would be no progress, but I am not going to mistake mere change for progress."
"I look at the Supreme Court and know why Jesus wept."