Maurice E. Crumpacker
Encyclopedia
Maurice Edgar Crumpacker (December 19, 1886 – July 24, 1927) was a Republican
U.S. congressman
from Oregon
.
in 1886, where he attended the public schools until his father, Edgar D. Crumpacker
, was elected to the United States House of Representatives
when Maurice was 10 years old. (Crumpacker's cousin, Shepard J. Crumpacker, Jr.
, would also serve in the House of Representatives representing Indiana
.)
The younger Crumpacker completed his primary education in Washington, D.C.
, then returned to Indiana, where he graduated from the Culver Military Academy
in 1905. Crumpacker attended the University of Michigan
, where he was a starting right tackle
for Fielding H. Yost's 1908 Michigan Wolverines football team
in his senior year.
After graduating from Michigan in 1909, Crumpacker studied law at Harvard University School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1912.
in 1912. As the United States moved towards participation in World War I
, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U. S. Army's Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
, and in 1917, was put in charge of Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen
, the company union for the Army's Spruce Production Division
which supplied lumber for military aircraft and ships. He was eventually promoted to captain of the division and was honorably discharged in 1918.
, and ran unsuccessfully for the
Republican
nomination for U.S. Congress in 1922. In 1924, he won the nomination, and was elected representative for Oregon's 3rd congressional district
. He was re-elected in 1926.
to journey down the west coast from Seattle
in a special train car as the guest of a Northern Pacific Railroad director. Crumpacker, who was 6' 2" tall and weighed 200 pounds (1.88 m, 91 kg), was uncomfortable during the travel through California's hot Central Valley. The train arrived in San Francisco on July 22, with plans to travel on to Salinas
and then to California Senator James D. Phelan
's ranch the next day. But when it was time to depart, Crumpacker could not be found, and the party left without him.
He was found later that day on a curb, acting strangely and claiming he had been poisoned. He was eventually subdued, handcuffed, and taken to the hospital, where the evaluating physician noted that he appeared to be "under a great nervous strain" and showing "symptoms of a paranoiac." Crumpacker eventually persuaded hospital officials to release him the next morning.
Word of Crumpacker's strange behavior had reached Thomas Smart, a Seattle newsman on vacation, and he agreed to accompany Crumpacker back home to Portland that night. But as Smart went for a walk with Crumpacker along San Francisco Bay
, Crumpacker suddenly ran and jumped into the Bay. By the time Smart and others pulled him from the water, he was dead. Crumpacker left several notes indicating that he believed he had been murdered by his friends.
Crumpacker's body was returned to Portland amid effusive praise for his service. He was buried in River View Cemetery
in Portland
. He left a wife, Cully Cook Crumpacker, and three sons, James, Edgar, and Peter.
His Portland home, the Maurice Crumpacker House
, was built by acclaimed Portland architect Wade Hampton Pipes
and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
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...
U.S. congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Early life
Crumpacker was born in Valparaiso, IndianaValparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...
in 1886, where he attended the public schools until his father, Edgar D. Crumpacker
Edgar D. Crumpacker
Edgar Dean Crumpacker was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, father of Maurice Edgar Crumpacker and cousin of Shepard J...
, was elected to the 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...
when Maurice was 10 years old. (Crumpacker's cousin, Shepard J. Crumpacker, Jr.
Shepard J. Crumpacker, Jr.
Shepard J. Crumpacker, Jr. was a U.S. Representative from Indiana, cousin of Edgar Dean Crumpacker and Maurice Edgar Crumpacker....
, would also serve in the House of Representatives representing Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.)
The younger Crumpacker completed his primary education 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....
, then returned to Indiana, where he graduated from the Culver Military Academy
Culver Academies
The Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school and summer camp in the United States. The Culver Academies is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy for boys, Culver Girls Academy , and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps . Collectively known as Culver Academies located...
in 1905. Crumpacker attended 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...
, where he was a starting right tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
for Fielding H. Yost's 1908 Michigan Wolverines football team
1908 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1908 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1908 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost...
in his senior year.
After graduating from Michigan in 1909, Crumpacker studied law at Harvard University School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1912.
Move to Oregon
Crumpacker set up his law practice in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in 1912. As the United States moved towards participation in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U. S. Army's Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. It replaced and absorbed the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and was succeeded briefly by the Division of Military...
, and in 1917, was put in charge of Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen
Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen
The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen , commonly known as the "Four L") was a patriotic company union founded in the United States during World War I in 1917 by the War Department as a counter to the Industrial Workers of the World....
, the company union for the Army's Spruce Production Division
Spruce Production Division
The Spruce Production Division was a unit of the United States Army established in 1917 to supply the army with high quality spruce and other wood products needed for the production of aircraft for the United States war effort in World War I. The division was part of the Army Signal Corps's...
which supplied lumber for military aircraft and ships. He was eventually promoted to captain of the division and was honorably discharged in 1918.
Political career
In 1921, Crumpacker was appointed special deputy district attorney for Multnomah CountyMultnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, and ran unsuccessfully for 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...
nomination for U.S. Congress in 1922. In 1924, he won the nomination, and was elected representative for Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Portland east of the Willamette River, Gresham, and Troutdale. It also includes the northern part of Clackamas County, including Milwaukie. Parts of northwest Portland also lie within the district...
. He was re-elected in 1926.
Mysterious death
In July 1927, Crumpacker was invited by House speaker Nicholas LongworthNicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth IV was a prominent American politician in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century...
to journey down the west coast from Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in a special train car as the guest of a Northern Pacific Railroad director. Crumpacker, who was 6' 2" tall and weighed 200 pounds (1.88 m, 91 kg), was uncomfortable during the travel through California's hot Central Valley. The train arrived in San Francisco on July 22, with plans to travel on to Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
and then to California Senator James D. Phelan
James D. Phelan
James Duval Phelan was an American politician, civic leader and banker.-Early years:Phelan was born in San Francisco, the son of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy during the California Gold Rush as a trader, merchant and banker. He graduated from St...
's ranch the next day. But when it was time to depart, Crumpacker could not be found, and the party left without him.
He was found later that day on a curb, acting strangely and claiming he had been poisoned. He was eventually subdued, handcuffed, and taken to the hospital, where the evaluating physician noted that he appeared to be "under a great nervous strain" and showing "symptoms of a paranoiac." Crumpacker eventually persuaded hospital officials to release him the next morning.
Word of Crumpacker's strange behavior had reached Thomas Smart, a Seattle newsman on vacation, and he agreed to accompany Crumpacker back home to Portland that night. But as Smart went for a walk with Crumpacker along San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, Crumpacker suddenly ran and jumped into the Bay. By the time Smart and others pulled him from the water, he was dead. Crumpacker left several notes indicating that he believed he had been murdered by his friends.
Legacy
River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
River View Cemetery in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States, is a non-profit cemetery founded in 1882. It is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United States Senators...
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He left a wife, Cully Cook Crumpacker, and three sons, James, Edgar, and Peter.
His Portland home, the Maurice Crumpacker House
Maurice Crumpacker House
Maurice Crumpacker House is the former residence of Maurice E. Crumpacker, a popular Oregon attorney and United States Congressman in the 1920s....
, was built by acclaimed Portland architect Wade Hampton Pipes
Wade Hampton Pipes
Wade Hampton Pipes was an American architect in based in Portland, Oregon. Pipes was considered the "foremost exponent of English Cottage architecture" in the state.-Career:...
and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.