Joseph E. Ransdell
Encyclopedia
Joseph Eugene Ransdell was a United States Representative and Senator
from Louisiana
. Born in Alexandria
, the seat of Rapides Parish in central Louisiana, Ransdell attended public schools. In 1882, he graduated from Union College
in Schenectady, New York
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1883 and practiced in Lake Providence
, the seat of East Carroll Parish in far northeastern Louisiana, from 1883-1889. He was district attorney
for the 8th Judicial District of Louisiana from 1884-1896. He was a planter of cotton
and pecan
groves. From 1896-1899, he served on the Fifth Levee District Board. He was a member of the state constitutional convention
in 1898.
In 1899, Ransdell was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel T. Baird
. He won his first full term in Congress in 1900, having defeated the Republican
business
man Henry E. Hardtner
of Urania
in La Salle Parish, 6,172 votes (90.8 percent) to 628 (9.2 percent). Hardtner was the last Republican to contest the seat until 1976, when Frank Spooner of Monroe
waged a strong challenge to the Democrat Jerry Huckaby
of Ringgold
in Bienville Parish. By 1910, Hardtner had switched to Democratic affiliation and served for two years in the Louisiana House of Representatives
as the first member ever from La Salle Parish. From 1924-1928, he was a state senator
.
Ransdell served in the House from August 29, 1899, to March 4, 1913. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1912, having instead been elected by the Louisiana State Legislature
to the United States Senate
. In 1918, he defeated future Senator John H. Overton
of Alexandria in a disputed outcome. Ransdell won his third term in the Democratic primary
in 1924, having defeated Lee Emmett Thomas
, the mayor of Shreveport
, 104,312 (54.9 percent) to 85,547 (45.1 percent).
He served from March 4, 1913, to March 4, 1931, having been denied renomination in 1930 by then Governor
Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
Long received 149,640 votes (57.3 percent) to Ransdell's 111,451 (42.7 percent). Long was then elected without Republican opposition in the general election
.
While in Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine
(Sixty-third
through Sixty-fifth
Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Mississippi River and Its Tributaries (Sixty-sixth Congress
). It was in this capacity that Randsell sponsored the Ransdell Act
, which created the National Institutes of Health
.
In 1920, he founded a printing firm in Washington, D.C.
He returned to Lake Providence in 1931 and engaged in the real estate business, cotton planting, and pecan growing and was a member of the board of supervisors of Louisiana State University
and Agricultural College at Baton Rouge from 1940- 1944. He died in Lake Providence and is interred in Lake Providence Cemetery.
The definitive biography of Ransdell was written in 1951 by Adras LaBorde
, (1912–1993), long-time managing editor of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
.
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...
from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Born in Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, the seat of Rapides Parish in central Louisiana, Ransdell attended public schools. In 1882, he graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. He studied law, 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:...
in 1883 and practiced in Lake Providence
Lake Providence, Louisiana
Lake Providence is a town in and the parish seat of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2000 census.-Civil War:...
, the seat of East Carroll Parish in far northeastern Louisiana, from 1883-1889. He was district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for the 8th Judicial District of Louisiana from 1884-1896. He was a planter of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
groves. From 1896-1899, he served on the Fifth Levee District Board. He was a member of the state constitutional convention
Louisiana Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Louisiana is the cornerstone of Louisiana state law ensuring the rights of individuals, describing the distribution and power of state officials and local government, establishes the state and city civil service systems, creates and defines the operation of a state...
in 1898.
In 1899, Ransdell was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress
56th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel T. Baird
Samuel T. Baird
Samuel Thomas Baird was a U.S. Representative from Louisiana.Born in Oak Ridge, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, Baird was educated under private tutors and attended the Vincennes University.He studied law....
. He won his first full term in Congress in 1900, having defeated the Republican
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...
business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man Henry E. Hardtner
Henry E. Hardtner
Henry Ernest Hardtner was a Louisiana businessman and conservationist regarded as "the father of forestry in the South." He founded and named the town of Urania in La Salle Parish and served single terms as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature...
of Urania
Urania, Louisiana
Urania is a town in La Salle Parish, Louisiana in the United States. The population was 700 at the 2000 census.Urania was established in the late 1890s by lumbering magnate Henry E...
in La Salle Parish, 6,172 votes (90.8 percent) to 628 (9.2 percent). Hardtner was the last Republican to contest the seat until 1976, when Frank Spooner of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
waged a strong challenge to the Democrat Jerry Huckaby
Jerry Huckaby
Thomas Jerald Huckaby, usually known as Jerry Huckaby , is a retired businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana between 1977 and 1993...
of Ringgold
Ringgold, Louisiana
Ringgold is a town in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census. Ringgold is named for United States Army Major Samuel Ringgold, the hero of the battle of Palo Alto near Brownsville, Texas, in the Mexican-American War. Ringgold, the son of a U.S...
in Bienville Parish. By 1910, Hardtner had switched to Democratic affiliation and served for two years in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
as the first member ever from La Salle Parish. From 1924-1928, he was a state senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
.
Ransdell served in the House from August 29, 1899, to March 4, 1913. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1912, having instead been elected by the Louisiana State Legislature
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
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...
. In 1918, he defeated future Senator John H. Overton
John H. Overton
John Holmes Overton was an attorney and Democratic United States representative and U.S. senator from Louisiana...
of Alexandria in a disputed outcome. Ransdell won his third term in the Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in 1924, having defeated Lee Emmett Thomas
Lee Emmett Thomas
Lee Emmett Thomas was an attorney and banker who served as the mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1922–1930. He was also from 1912–1916 the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.-Background:...
, the mayor of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, 104,312 (54.9 percent) to 85,547 (45.1 percent).
He served from March 4, 1913, to March 4, 1931, having been denied renomination in 1930 by then Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
Long received 149,640 votes (57.3 percent) to Ransdell's 111,451 (42.7 percent). Long was then elected without Republican opposition in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
.
While in Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
(Sixty-third
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
through Sixty-fifth
65th United States Congress
The Sixty-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 March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth...
Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Mississippi River and Its Tributaries (Sixty-sixth Congress
66th United States Congress
The Sixty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1919 to March 4, 1921, during the last two years of...
). It was in this capacity that Randsell sponsored the Ransdell Act
Ransdell Act
The Ransdell Act , reorganized, expanded and redesignated the Laboratory of Hygiene as the National Institute of Health....
, which created the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
.
In 1920, he founded a printing firm 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....
He returned to Lake Providence in 1931 and engaged in the real estate business, cotton planting, and pecan growing and was a member of the board of supervisors of Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and Agricultural College at Baton Rouge from 1940- 1944. He died in Lake Providence and is interred in Lake Providence Cemetery.
The definitive biography of Ransdell was written in 1951 by Adras LaBorde
Adras LaBorde
Adras Paul LaBorde, I , was a reporter, managing editor, and columnist for the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, the largest newspaper in central Louisiana. His career stretched from the mid-1940s into the early 1990s...
, (1912–1993), long-time managing editor of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
The Town Talk (Alexandria)
The Town Talk, started as The Daily Town Talk in 1883 and later named the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, is the major newspaper of Central Louisiana. It is published by Gannett in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the economic center of Central Louisiana.The daily newspaper has a circulation...
.
External links
- Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries