John Charles Linthicum
Encyclopedia
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...
from the 4th Congressional district of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, serving from 1911 to 1932.
Linthicum was born near Baltimore, Maryland, in the locality now known as Linthicum, Maryland
Linthicum, Maryland
Linthicum is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,539 at the 2000 census. It is the approximate location of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport...
, and attended the public schools of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore. He graduated from the Maryland State Normal School
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
in Baltimore in 1886, and became principal of the Braddock School in Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, in 1887. He also taught in the schools of Anne Arundel County, and studied history and political science at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore. He graduated from the law school at the University of Maryland School of Law
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is the second-oldest law school in the United States by date of establishment and third-oldest by date of first classes. The school is located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore in Downtown Baltimore's West Side...
in Baltimore in 1890, and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Baltimore in 1890.
Linthicum served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
in 1904 and 1905, and in the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
from 1906 to 1909. He was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Baltimore in 1907, and was a judge advocate general on the staff of Maryland Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Austin Lane Crothers
Austin Lane Crothers
Austin Lane Crothers , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 46th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1908 to 1912.-Early life and career:...
from 1908 to 1912. He was elected as a Democrat
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...
to the Sixty-second and to the ten succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1911, until his death. Linthicum's most important role in Congress was that of the leader of the Wets (those who advocated the repeal of prohibition) succeeding John Philip Hill in 1927 (transition shown in the photo above). Working with Rep. James M. Beck, (R.) of Pennsylvania J. Charles Linthicum co wrote and introduced the Beck-Linthicum amendment which was designed to repeal prohibition in 1932 (Source: January 15, 1932, The Journal of the House of Representatives., p. 247). Although the bill failed it is highly significant in that it forced the wet and dry members to go on record as such. This resulted in the drys being voted out office and the eventual repeal of prohibition. In 1918, motivated by his wife Helen a noted "club woman" and by Mrs. Reuben Ross Holloway, Linthicum became the first to introduce a bill which would make the Star Spangled Banner the official national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of the United States, though it was not made so until 1931. During the Seventy-second Congress, he served as chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and had been renominated to the Seventy-third Congress at the time of his death. While serving as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Linthicum achieved the "scheduling" of the foreign service and instituted the policy of U.S. government ownership of its embassies. (This is the achievement commemorated by his wife Helen Linthicum on his grave marker). Linthicum had also served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in 1924. He died in Baltimore and is interred in Druid Ridge Cemetery
Druid Ridge Cemetery
Druid Ridge Cemetery is located just outside the city of Baltimore in Pikesville, Maryland at 7900 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore Co., MD 21208. Among its monuments and graves are several noted sculptures by Hans Schuler and the final resting places of:...
. His home, Twin Oaks
Twin Oaks (Linthicum Heights, Maryland)
Twin Oaks is a historic home at Linthicum Heights, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The house is a -story brick Greek Revival–influenced dwelling constructed in 1857, with additions and Neo-Classical embellishments made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The final composition...
, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986.
Several memorials have been dedicated to John Charles Linthicum.
1. Grave Marker in Druid Ridge Park- By his wife Helen recognizing service to the U.S. State Department.
2. Stained Glass Window- Church of the Ephiphany Washington D.C.
3. Linthicum Memorial and Park, Linthicum, Maryland, commemorating his work on behalf of the National Anthem.