Edward C. Eicher
Encyclopedia
Edward C. Eicher was a three-term congressman, federal securities regulator, and federal district court judge during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
. He was considered a consummate "New Deal
" liberal.
.
Edward Eicher attended public schools, Washington Academy (in Washington, Iowa
), and Morgan Park Academy
(in Morgan Park, Chicago
). In 1904 he graduated from the University of Chicago
. He then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1906 and briefly commenced practice in Washington, Iowa. He soon returned to the University of Chicago to serve as its assistant registrar until 1909, when he returned to Iowa (to Burlington
). There, Eicher served as an assistant attorney for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
until 1918. Returning again to Washington, Iowa, in 1918, he resumed private practice as a partner in Livingston and Eicher.
from Iowa's 1st congressional district
. Twice re-elected, he served from March 4, 1933 until December 2, 1938.
He had withdrawn from the 1938 race for the Democratic nomination for his own seat. When his congressional career ended, Time Magazine described him as "a wheelhorse in a pasture of mavericks," explaining that "he worked on the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
, defended the Court Plan
, was the most ardent New Dealer among the Monopoly Investigation Committee's Congressmen."
He died in Alexandria, Virginia
at age 65. At the time of his death, Eicher had presided for over seven months over the so-called Great Sedition Trial of 1944," a mass prosecution of dozens of suspected Axis conspirators and sympathizers. Time Magazine characterized the trial as "biggest and noisiest sedition trial in U.S. history," and reported that "no one in Washington doubted that a ludicrously undignified trial had hastened the death of a scrupulously dignified judge." Justice Eicher's death caused a mistrial. After the war ended, Justice Bolitha Laws
dismissed the charges against the defendants.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. He was considered a consummate "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...
" liberal.
Personal background
Eicher was born near the unincorporated town of Noble, Iowa in Washington County, Iowa. His father Benjamin Eicher, was a Mennonite bishop. His older brother, H.M. Eicher, was an assistant district attorney in the administration of President Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
.
Edward Eicher attended public schools, Washington Academy (in Washington, Iowa
Washington, Iowa
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,047 at the 2000 census.-History:...
), and Morgan Park Academy
Morgan Park Academy
Morgan Park Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory, independent Pre-Kindergarten-12th grade day school located in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1863, Morgan Park Academy was formerly known as Mt...
(in Morgan Park, Chicago
Morgan Park, Chicago
Morgan Park, located on the far south side of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, is one of the city's 77 official community areas.-Morgan Park:...
). In 1904 he graduated from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1906 and briefly commenced practice in Washington, Iowa. He soon returned to the University of Chicago to serve as its assistant registrar until 1909, when he returned to Iowa (to Burlington
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
). There, Eicher served as an assistant attorney for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
until 1918. Returning again to Washington, Iowa, in 1918, he resumed private practice as a partner in Livingston and Eicher.
Congress
In 1932 Eicher was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers the northeastern part of the state. The district includes Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport and Waterloo....
. Twice re-elected, he served from March 4, 1933 until December 2, 1938.
He had withdrawn from the 1938 race for the Democratic nomination for his own seat. When his congressional career ended, Time Magazine described him as "a wheelhorse in a pasture of mavericks," explaining that "he worked on the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 , , also known as the Wheeler-Rayburn Act, was a law that was passed by the United States Congress to facilitate regulation of electric utilities, by either limiting their operations to a single state, and thus subjecting them to effective state...
, defended the Court Plan
Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937
The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, frequently called the court-packing plan, was a legislative initiative proposed by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Roosevelt's purpose was to obtain favorable rulings regarding New Deal legislation that...
, was the most ardent New Dealer among the Monopoly Investigation Committee's Congressmen."
The Securities and Exchange Commission
As his final Congressional term ended, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He was a member of the SEC from 1938–1942, serving as its chairman between 1941 and 1942.The Federal bench
New Dealers inside the Roosevelt Administration supported Eicher's wish to be chosen to fill one of two new seats the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, but Iowa Senator Guy M. Gillette, who resented Eicher and Roosevelt for their unsuccessful efforts to purge him from Congress in 1938, stood in the way. Instead, no Iowan received either judgeship. Eicher was eventually nominated on December 30, 1941, and confirmed on January 20, 1942, as a federal trial court judge in Washington D.C. Eicher filled a vacancy vacated by Alfred A. Wheat. The official title of his position was "Chief Justice of the District of the District of Columbia."He died in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
at age 65. At the time of his death, Eicher had presided for over seven months over the so-called Great Sedition Trial of 1944," a mass prosecution of dozens of suspected Axis conspirators and sympathizers. Time Magazine characterized the trial as "biggest and noisiest sedition trial in U.S. history," and reported that "no one in Washington doubted that a ludicrously undignified trial had hastened the death of a scrupulously dignified judge." Justice Eicher's death caused a mistrial. After the war ended, Justice Bolitha Laws
Bolitha James Laws
Bolitha James Laws was a United States federal judge.Born in Washington, D.C., Laws received an LL.B. from Georgetown University Law School in 1913, and an LL.M. from the same institution in 1914. He was an assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1914 to 1920...
dismissed the charges against the defendants.