Joseph B. Foraker
Encyclopedia
Joseph Benson Foraker (July 5, 1846 May 10, 1917) was a Republican politician from Ohio
. He served as the 37th Governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890.
, Ohio
on July 5, 1846 to Henry Stacey Foraker and Margaret Reece Foraker. The family emigrated to the Middle West
from the Bombay Hook area on the Delaware Bay
. Foraker spent his childhood working on the family farm and obtained only limited schooling during those years. When Foraker was only sixteen years old, he decided to join the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He enlisted in Company A, 89th Ohio Infantry
. During the war, Foraker participated in military actions in West Virginia
and Tennessee
, under the overall command first of Don Carlos Buell
and later William Rosecrans
, and over whose campaigns Senator Charles Sumner
was a Congressional observer. Foraker also served with General William T. Sherman, Major General Carl Schurz
and Brigadier General Adolph von Steinwehr
, during the March to the Sea
and the Tennessee and North Carolina
campaigns respectively. His actions at Missionary Ridge
, Bentonville
and the capture of Savannah
were notable. By the time that Foraker left the military in June 1865, he had participated in 13 principal battles and obtained the rank of brevet captain. After serving in the Union Army
during the Civil War, Foraker prepared for legal studies at the Salem Academy
and Ohio Wesleyan University
before matriculating at Cornell University
. He received his B.A. in 1869 along with the seven other members of Cornell's first graduating class, including his roommate Morris Lyon Buchwalter
and their friend, John Andrew Rea
. There, he was a tri-founder of the New York Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Psi
, its first chapter north of the Susquehanna River
and east of the Ohio river
. He was also a member of the Irving Literary Society
.
in 1896 representing Ohio, and served two terms, from 1897 to March 3, 1909. He sponsored the Organic Act of 1900, also known as the Foraker Act
, which established civil government in the newly-acquired island of Puerto Rico
. Foraker served as one of Ohio's two senators from 1897 to March 3, 1909. Although the senator had competed with McKinley for political influence in Ohio, he supported the president's policies as a member of Congress. Foraker voted in favor of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and served as chairman of the committee on the Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico. When Theodore Roosevelt became president, Foraker was not as supportive. He was the only Republican to vote against the Hepburn Act of 1906, which regulated railroads. He also criticized Roosevelt's actions in the Brownsville case
, in which the president ordered that an company of the African-American 25th Infantry Regiment (United States) be discharged without formal charges filed against them in 1906. {The dishonorable discharge order was reversed in 1972}. Foraker was unsuccessful in obtaining a third term as senator in 1908. During his first term as senator, Foraker had taken money from the Standard Oil Company in exchange for providing some legal advice to the company. In the nineteenth century, this kind of arrangement between politicians and businesses had been acceptable. By the early twentieth century, many Americans viewed such a relationship as a conflict of interest. When news of his involvement with Standard Oil became public in 1908, Foraker was forced to retire from politics.
In the Senate, he was Chairman, Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service (Fifty-fifth Congress); Committee on Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico (Fifty-sixth through Sixtieth Congresses). Foraker was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1908, and was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the United States presidential election, 1908, losing to William Howard Taft. After leaving the Senate, Foraker returned to private legal practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. He once again attempted to enter politics in 1914, unsuccessfully running against Warren G. Harding for the Republican senatorial nomination. He published his memoirs, Notes of a Busy Life, in 1916. Foraker died in Cincinnati on May 10, 1917. He was buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery
, 69 paces away from fellow founder of New York Alpha, the Honorable Morris Lyon Buchwalter
.
in Alaska and Governor Foraker Place, a street in the county seat of Highland County, Hillsboro, Ohio
, about 10 miles west of Rainsboro, are named in his honor.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He served as the 37th Governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890.
Early life
Joseph B. Foraker was born on a farm near the town of Rainsboro, Highland CountyHighland County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 40,875 people, 15,587 households, and 11,394 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile . There were 17,583 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
on July 5, 1846 to Henry Stacey Foraker and Margaret Reece Foraker. The family emigrated to the Middle West
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
from the Bombay Hook area on the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
. Foraker spent his childhood working on the family farm and obtained only limited schooling during those years. When Foraker was only sixteen years old, he decided to join the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He enlisted in Company A, 89th Ohio Infantry
89th Ohio Infantry
The 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 89th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio and mustered in August 26, 1862 for three years service under the command of Colonel John G...
. During the war, Foraker participated in military actions in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, under the overall command first of Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell
Don Carlos Buell was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole War, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. Buell led Union armies in two great Civil War battles—Shiloh and Perryville. The nation was angry at his failure to defeat the outnumbered...
and later William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans
William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War...
, and over whose campaigns Senator Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
was a Congressional observer. Foraker also served with General William T. Sherman, Major General Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
and Brigadier General Adolph von Steinwehr
Adolph von Steinwehr
Baron Adolph Wilhelm August Friedrich von Steinwehr was a German-Brunswick army officer who emigrated to the United States, became a geographer, cartographer, and author, and served as a Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:Steinwehr was born in Blankenburg, in the Duchy of...
, during the March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
and the Tennessee and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
campaigns respectively. His actions at Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
, Bentonville
Battle of Bentonville
At 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...
and the capture of Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
were notable. By the time that Foraker left the military in June 1865, he had participated in 13 principal battles and obtained the rank of brevet captain. After serving in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War, Foraker prepared for legal studies at the Salem Academy
South Salem Academy
The South Salem Academy is a historic former school in South Salem, Ohio, United States. Built in 1842, it is a stone building constructed in the Federal style of architecture....
and Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
before matriculating at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He received his B.A. in 1869 along with the seven other members of Cornell's first graduating class, including his roommate Morris Lyon Buchwalter
Morris Lyon Buchwalter
Morris Lyon Buchwalter was a radical Ohio Republican jurist of the post-Civil War era whose jurisprudence set a progressive standard following the failure of Reconstruction and during the rise in management/labor tensions in the Gilded Age.-Early life:Hon...
and their friend, John Andrew Rea
John Andrew Rea
John Andrew Rea was an American journalist and politician. A native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, he was one of the eight members of Cornell University's first graduating class...
. There, he was a tri-founder of the New York Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
, its first chapter north of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
and east of the Ohio river
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. He was also a member of the Irving Literary Society
The Irving Literary Society (Cornell University)
Cornell literary societies were a group of 19th century student organizations at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, formed for the purpose of promoting language skills and oratory. The U.S...
.
Law and early politics
He moved to Cincinnati, gained admittance to the bar, and began practicing law. Foraker first entered politics in 1879. He was elected to be a judge of the superior court in Cincinnati. He held this position until 1882. During his years on the court, he gained a reputation for his speaking skills and became an important member of the Republican Party. In 1883, Foraker ran for Ohio governor on the Republican ticket but failed to defeat Democrat George Hoadly. Foraker was successful in the gubernatorial election of 1885 and became Ohio's thirty-seventh governor. As governor, Foraker was concerned about election fraud in Ohio. He helped institute a voter registration program and favored changes in how election boards were established. During his administration, the state legislature also passed the Dow Law, which taxed the sale of alcoholic beverages in Ohio. The governor instituted a number of reforms, including the establishment of boards to reduce corruption in city government, the creation of a state board of health, and greater oversight of the operations of the state penitentiary. A Civil War veteran, Foraker was well known for declaring that no Confederate battle flags in Ohio would be returned to southern states while he was Governor. Foraker was elected to a second term in 1887 but was unsuccessful in winning a third term in 1889.United States Senate
Foraker was elected to the U.S. SenateUnited 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...
in 1896 representing Ohio, and served two terms, from 1897 to March 3, 1909. He sponsored the Organic Act of 1900, also known as the Foraker Act
Foraker Act
The Foraker Act,officially the Organic Act of 1900, is a United States federal law that established civilian government on the island of Puerto Rico, which had been newly acquired by the United States as a result of the Spanish–American War. Section VII of the Foraker Act also established Puerto...
, which established civil government in the newly-acquired island of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Foraker served as one of Ohio's two senators from 1897 to March 3, 1909. Although the senator had competed with McKinley for political influence in Ohio, he supported the president's policies as a member of Congress. Foraker voted in favor of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and served as chairman of the committee on the Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico. When Theodore Roosevelt became president, Foraker was not as supportive. He was the only Republican to vote against the Hepburn Act of 1906, which regulated railroads. He also criticized Roosevelt's actions in the Brownsville case
Brownsville Affair
The Brownsville Affair was a racial incident that arose out of tensions between black soldiers and white citizens in Brownsville, Texas, in 1906. When a white bartender was killed and a police officer wounded by gunshot, townspeople accused the members of the 25th Regiment, an all-black unit...
, in which the president ordered that an company of the African-American 25th Infantry Regiment (United States) be discharged without formal charges filed against them in 1906. {The dishonorable discharge order was reversed in 1972}. Foraker was unsuccessful in obtaining a third term as senator in 1908. During his first term as senator, Foraker had taken money from the Standard Oil Company in exchange for providing some legal advice to the company. In the nineteenth century, this kind of arrangement between politicians and businesses had been acceptable. By the early twentieth century, many Americans viewed such a relationship as a conflict of interest. When news of his involvement with Standard Oil became public in 1908, Foraker was forced to retire from politics.
In the Senate, he was Chairman, Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service (Fifty-fifth Congress); Committee on Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico (Fifty-sixth through Sixtieth Congresses). Foraker was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1908, and was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the United States presidential election, 1908, losing to William Howard Taft. After leaving the Senate, Foraker returned to private legal practice in Cincinnati, Ohio. He once again attempted to enter politics in 1914, unsuccessfully running against Warren G. Harding for the Republican senatorial nomination. He published his memoirs, Notes of a Busy Life, in 1916. Foraker died in Cincinnati on May 10, 1917. He was buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum is a nonprofit garden cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the second largest cemetery in the United States and is recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark....
, 69 paces away from fellow founder of New York Alpha, the Honorable Morris Lyon Buchwalter
Morris Lyon Buchwalter
Morris Lyon Buchwalter was a radical Ohio Republican jurist of the post-Civil War era whose jurisprudence set a progressive standard following the failure of Reconstruction and during the rise in management/labor tensions in the Gilded Age.-Early life:Hon...
.
Reputation within the Republican Party
Although Foraker was an influential member of the Republican Party in Ohio, he did not get along with such prominent Republicans as John Sherman, Marcus Hanna, and William McKinley. For example, in 1892, Foraker unsuccessfully attempted to contest Sherman's appointment as a United States senator. Several years later, Foraker and McKinley engaged in a power struggle for control of the Ohio Republican Party. Instead, Foraker gained the support of prominent city boss George Cox of Cincinnati.Honors
Mount ForakerMount Foraker
Mount Foraker is a mountain in the central Alaska Range, in Denali National Park, southwest of Mount McKinley. It is the second highest peak in the Alaska Range, and the fourth highest peak in the United States...
in Alaska and Governor Foraker Place, a street in the county seat of Highland County, Hillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro, Ohio
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Highland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,605 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hillsboro is located at ....
, about 10 miles west of Rainsboro, are named in his honor.
External links
- Men of Mark in America Biography & Portrait
- Image of Joseph Foraker from "1888 Presidential Possibilities" card set t207.com
