Maurice Thatcher
Encyclopedia
Maurice Hudson Thatcher was a U.S. Congressman. Thatcher was elected to Congress
in 1922 from Kentucky
. He served until 1933.
in 1874 and settled near Morgantown
. Thatcher worked in farming, on a newspaper and in county offices. He was elected the circuit court clerk for Butler County in 1892 and served from January 1, 1893, until his resignation in 1896. He studied law in Frankfort, Kentucky
and was admitted to the bar in 1898, commencing his law practice in Frankfort. Thatcher was an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky
1898–1900 and then moved to Louisville, Kentucky
in 1900. He was an Assistant United States Attorney
for the Western District of Kentucky from 1901 to 1906 and a state inspector and examiner for Kentucky 1908–1910.
Thatcher was also a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission and governor of the Canal Zone
from 1910 to 1913. Thatcher was the Commission's longest-lived and last surviving member.
During his congressional tenure, he guided the passage of several Kentucky landmarks and parks: Mammoth Cave National Park
, Lincoln
's birthplace, and the Zachary Taylor
National Cemetery. In 1932, he gave up his seat in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Alben W. Barkley
for election to the United States Senate
.
Thatcher served on the general counsel of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventative Medicine, Inc., Washington, D.C.
beginning in 1939 and became its vice president in 1948, a post which he held until 1969 when he was made honorary president, a position only previously reserved for Presidents of the United States
. In 1962, the first bridge connecting both sides of The Panama Canal was named after him (Thatcher Ferry Bridge). In 1979 the name was officially changed to the Bridge of the Americas
.
As of 2011, he was the longest-lived person to have served in the United States Congress
.
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....
in 1922 from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. He served until 1933.
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Thatcher's family moved to Butler County, KentuckyButler County, Kentucky
Butler County is a county located in the US state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1810, becoming Kentucky's 53rd county. As of 2000, the population was 13,010. Its county seat is Morgantown, Kentucky. Butler is a prohibition or dry county.- History :...
in 1874 and settled near Morgantown
Morgantown, Kentucky
Morgantown is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,544 at the 2000 census. The city had a sister city in Tatsuruhama, Ishikawa, Japan, which city is now part of Nanao, Ishikawa, Japan.-History:...
. Thatcher worked in farming, on a newspaper and in county offices. He was elected the circuit court clerk for Butler County in 1892 and served from January 1, 1893, until his resignation in 1896. He studied law in Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
and was admitted to the bar in 1898, commencing his law practice in Frankfort. Thatcher was an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky
Attorney General of Kentucky
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. . Under Kentucky law, he serves several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor , the state's chief law enforcement officer , and the state's chief law officer...
1898–1900 and then moved to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
in 1900. He was an Assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Kentucky from 1901 to 1906 and a state inspector and examiner for Kentucky 1908–1910.
Thatcher was also a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission and governor of the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
from 1910 to 1913. Thatcher was the Commission's longest-lived and last surviving member.
During his congressional tenure, he guided the passage of several Kentucky landmarks and parks: Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...
, Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's birthplace, and the Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
National Cemetery. In 1932, he gave up his seat in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Alben W. Barkley
Alben W. Barkley
Alben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....
for election 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...
.
Thatcher served on the general counsel of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventative Medicine, Inc., 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....
beginning in 1939 and became its vice president in 1948, a post which he held until 1969 when he was made honorary president, a position only previously reserved for Presidents of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. In 1962, the first bridge connecting both sides of The Panama Canal was named after him (Thatcher Ferry Bridge). In 1979 the name was officially changed to the Bridge of the Americas
Bridge of the Americas
The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Completed in 1962, at a cost of US$20 million, it was the only non-swinging bridge connecting the north and south American land masses until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in 2004...
.
As of 2011, he was the longest-lived person to have served in the United States Congress
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....
.