Homer S. Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Homer Samuel Ferguson was a United States Senator from Michigan
. He was born in the Pittsburgh
suburb of Harrison City, Pennsylvania
to parents Samuel Ferguson (Oct. 1857 in Pennsylvania – 1933) and Margaret Bush (Nov. 1857 in Pennsylvania – 1940).
. He graduated from the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor
in 1913, was admitted to the bar
the same year and commenced practice in Detroit, Michigan
. He was judge of the circuit court
for Wayne County, Michigan
from 1929–1942 and also professor of law at Detroit College of Law (now part of Michigan State University
) from 1929 to 1939.
Patrick V. McNamara
.
While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee in the 83rd United States Congress
.
In 1948, he served as chairman of the Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments, which held hearings on such matters as export control
violations, for which Soviet
spy
William Remington
was called in to testify; the trial of Nazi
war criminal
Ilse Koch
; and the Mississippi
Democratic Party
's sale of postal jobs, which Mississippians from rural areas attested to purchasing.
He introduced the Senate version of the bill that inserted "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance
in 1954. Michigan's 17th congressional district
United States House of Representatives
Republican Charles G. Oakman
had previously introduced a House version. The bill became law on Flag Day
, June 14, 1954.
Also in 1954, Ferguson proposed several amendments to the Bricker Amendment
.
to the Philippines
from 1955 to 1956 and was judge of the United States Court of Military Appeals at Washington, D.C.
from 1956 to 1971.
He served as senior judge on the United States Court of Military Appeals from 1971 to 1976.
In 1976, he retired and moved back to Michigan and resided in Grosse Pointe
until his death. He is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery
, in Detroit.
Ferguson's behind the scenes involvement in influencing the failed investigation, trial, and slander of Preston Tucker
by the Securities and Exchange Commission has long been speculated. Lloyd Bridges
portrayed the character of Senator Ferguson in the 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He was born in the Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
suburb of Harrison City, Pennsylvania
Harrison City, Pennsylvania
Harrison City is a census-designated place in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Harrison City is located at ....
to parents Samuel Ferguson (Oct. 1857 in Pennsylvania – 1933) and Margaret Bush (Nov. 1857 in Pennsylvania – 1940).
Education and early career
Ferguson attended the public schools and the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. He graduated from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in 1913, was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
the same year and commenced practice in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He was judge of the circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
for Wayne County, Michigan
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
from 1929–1942 and also professor of law at Detroit College of Law (now part of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
) from 1929 to 1939.
United States Senator
Ferguson was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1942 and was reelected in 1948, serving from January 3, 1943, to January 3, 1955. Feguson successfully was re-elected in 1948, a year dominated by the Democratic party's upset wins. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1954, defeated by DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Patrick V. McNamara
Patrick V. McNamara
Patrick Vincent McNamara was a Democratic United States Senator from the state of Michigan.McNamara was born in North Weymouth, Massachusetts and attended the public schools in nearby Weymouth and the Fore River Apprentice School in Quincy. He moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1921, and became active...
.
While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee in the 83rd United States 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...
.
In 1948, he served as chairman of the Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments, which held hearings on such matters as export control
International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that promotes United States exports of nonagricultural U.S...
violations, for which Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
William Remington
William Remington
William Walter Remington was an economist employed in various federal government positions until his career was interrupted by accusations of espionage made by the Soviet spy and defector Elizabeth Bentley. He was convicted of perjury in connection with these charges in 1953, and murdered in...
was called in to testify; the trial of Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
war criminal
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
Ilse Koch
Ilse Koch
Ilse Koch, née Köhler , was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch, commandant of the Nazi concentration camps Buchenwald from 1937 to 1941, and Majdanek from 1941 to 1943...
; and the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
's sale of postal jobs, which Mississippians from rural areas attested to purchasing.
He introduced the Senate version of the bill that inserted "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942...
in 1954. Michigan's 17th congressional district
Michigan's 17th congressional district
Michigan's 17th congressional district is an obsolete United States congressional district in Michigan. The first Representative to Congress elected from the 17th district, George Anthony Dondero, took office in 1933, after reapportionment due to the 1930 census. The district was dissolved...
United States House of Representatives
United 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...
Republican Charles G. Oakman
Charles G. Oakman
Charles Gibb Oakman was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Oakman was born in Detroit, Michigan; attended the public schools and Wayne State University. He graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1926 and engaged in the real estate and transportation business 1927-1940...
had previously introduced a House version. The bill became law on Flag Day
Flag Day
A flag day is a flag-related holiday—either a day designated for flying a certain flag , or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag....
, June 14, 1954.
Also in 1954, Ferguson proposed several amendments to the Bricker Amendment
Bricker Amendment
The Bricker Amendment is the collective name of a series of proposed amendments to the United States Constitution considered by the United States Senate in the 1950s. These amendments would have placed restrictions on the scope and ratification of treaties and executive agreements entered into by...
.
Post-senate life
Ferguson served as United States AmbassadorAmbassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 1955 to 1956 and was judge of the United States Court of Military Appeals at 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....
from 1956 to 1971.
He served as senior judge on the United States Court of Military Appeals from 1971 to 1976.
In 1976, he retired and moved back to Michigan and resided in Grosse Pointe
Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Grosse Pointe is a suburban city bordering Detroit in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city covers just over one square mile, and had a population of 5,421 at the 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by Grosse Pointe Park, on the north by Detroit, on the east by Grosse Pointe...
until his death. He is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery (Detroit, Michigan)
Woodlawn Cemetery is a cemetery located at 19975 Woodward Avenue, across from the Michigan State Fairgrounds, between 7 Mile Road and 8 Mile Road, in Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the area's most well-known cemeteries.-History:...
, in Detroit.
Ferguson's behind the scenes involvement in influencing the failed investigation, trial, and slander of Preston Tucker
Preston Tucker
Preston Thomas Tucker was an American automobile designer and entrepreneur.He is most remembered for his 1948 Tucker Sedan , an automobile which introduced many features that have since become widely used in modern cars...
by the Securities and Exchange Commission has long been speculated. Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
portrayed the character of Senator Ferguson in the 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
Tucker: The Man and His Dream is a 1988 biographical film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Jeff Bridges. The film recounts the story of Preston Tucker and his attempt to produce and market the 1948 Tucker Sedan, which was met with scandal between the "Big Three automobile...
External links
- Homer Ferguson Papers 1939-1976, collection maintained by University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...