Nicholas Longworth
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Longworth IV was a prominent American
politician
in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century. He served as House Majority Leader from 1923 to 1925 and subsequently as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
from 1925 to 1931.
. Nicholas Longworth II was the son of Joseph Longworth and the grandson of Nicholas Longworth, both distinguished citizens of Cincinnati. He graduated from Harvard University in 1866, studied law with his uncle Rufus King, and passed the bar in the spring of 1869. He was an active member of the bar and briefly served on the Supreme Court of Ohio, but he resigned this position and retired from the practice of law in 1883 upon his father’s death. He and Susan Walker, a daughter of Judge Timothy Walker
, a founding faculty and Dean of the Cincinnati Law School, were married on October 2, 1866.
Nicholas Longworth attended the Franklin School, a school for boys in Cincinnati, and then went on to attend Harvard College
{Class of 1891}, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon
(Alpha chapter) and the Porcellian Club
. He was a talented, but not necessarily an industrious student; one friend wrote about him: “His good head made it easy for him to get perfectly respectable marks without doing much of any work.” After receiving his bachelor's degree from Harvard, he attended Harvard Law School
for one year, but transferred to and received his law degree from Cincinnati Law School in 1894.
A gifted musician, Longworth was considered by Efrem Zimbalist
and others as one of the most talented amateur violinists in the United States. In a letter to his sister Clara Leopold Stokowski
wrote "Your brother had a rare understanding of music. He penetrated directly into the spirit of music. It was his natural element." It is widely rumored that Longworth owned a Stradivarius which his wife Alice later burned in the fireplace. The violin, however, was just a very good copy of a Stradivarius and was not harmed. After he died, the violin was lent to up-and-coming artists. He also sang and played piano, which made him a welcome parlor guest.
As the protégé of Republican boss George Cox, Longworth was elected to the Ohio General Assembly
, serving in the Ohio House of Representatives
in 1899 and 1900, then in the State Senate
from 1901 to 1903. In 1902 he was instrumental in writing and passing the Longworth Act, a bill regulating the issuance of municipal bonds, which has been labeled "one of the most successful laws in Ohio's history" Longworth was elected to the United States House of Representatives
from the First Congressional District of Ohio
which included the city of Cincinnati and counties bordering Kentucky
and Indiana
.
The new representative, still a bachelor, quickly became a popular bon vivant in Washington, D.C.
society. He successfully wooed Alice Roosevelt
, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt
; they married in a White House ceremony in 1906.
Already well-known for his social success, Longworth first came to political prominence in 1910, when he led the successful Republican revolt against the autocratic rule of House Speaker
Joseph G. Cannon
. Throughout his political career, Longworth was a workhorse, especially on issues regarding foreign affairs and the protective tariff.
As the insurgent (or "Progressive") Republicans pulled apart from the conservatives in 1910–12, Longworth sided with the conservatives. Theodore Roosevelt
, Longworth's father-in-law, led the Progressives
, and bolted the Republican convention in the 1912 election
to set up a third party. However, many of Roosevelt's closest political allies, including Longworth, supported conservative standard-bearer President William Howard Taft
. Longworth's decision caused a permanent chill in his marriage to Roosevelt's daughter, Alice
. For men like Longworth expecting a future in politics, bolting the Republican party ticket was simply too radical a step. Also, Longworth agreed more with Taft than Roosevelt on critical issues like an independent judiciary and support for business.
Because the Progressive Party ran a candidate in his district, Longworth was defeated (by only 105 votes) in 1912. (Longworth's wife appeared at a speech by his Progressive opponent and would thereafter joke that it was she who cost her husband at least 100 of those 105 votes.)
After an effective term as Majority Leader, Longworth moved up to become Speaker
in 1925 after Frederick Gillett took a seat in the United States Senate
. Ironically, his first act as speaker was to restore much of the power to the office that had been stripped away during the revolt he had led against Cannon.
Longworth began his tenure by punishing 13 self-styled Progressives, who supported Robert LaFollette
instead of Calvin Coolidge
in 1924. He expelled the rebels from the GOP caucus, and stripped even the committee chairmen among them of all seniority. Longworth took control of the Steering Committee and Committee on Committees and placed his own men on the Rules Committee, guaranteeing that he controlled the work of the House.
Ignoring the left wing of the party, Longworth passed legislation that aimed for balanced budgets and major tax reductions, resisting any new programs that would expand the role of government. However, Longworth defied President Herbert Hoover
in 1931 by supporting the long-stalled veterans bonus bill; it passed but Hoover vetoed it, setting up the Bonus March of 1932.
Longworth reached across the aisle to Democrats, forging a productive relationship with John Nance Garner
, that party's House minority leader, who relied upon informal methods to strengthen his party's influence. He enjoyed a close rapport with Garner, who said of Longworth, "I was the heathen and Nick was the aristocrat." Together they hosted a daily gathering of Democratic and Republican congressmen in a secluded room in the Capitol, which became known as the "Bureau of Education." This unofficial club provided a place for politicians to relax with a drink and get to know and work with one another across party lines.
While visiting his friend Dwight Filley Davis
(of Davis Cup
fame), and Daniel J. Duckett in Aiken, South Carolina
, Longworth caught pneumonia and died unexpectedly. His wife Alice brought his body back to Cincinnati, where it was interred in the Spring Grove Cemetery
. At a memorial service held at the Library of Congress on May 3, 1931, his old friends Efrem Zimbalist
and Harold Bauer
played Brahms's D minor sonata.
One particular famous retort is told about Longworth. One day, while lounging in a chair at the Capitol, another member of the House ran his hand over Longworth's bald pate and commented, "Nice and smooth. Feels just like my wife's bottom." Longworth felt his own head and returned an answer: "Yes, so it does."
on Capitol Hill.
In the 66 years following his tenure as Speaker of the House, no other Republican served consecutive terms as Speaker until Newt Gingrich
was re-elected after the 1996 election.
In 2011, John Boehner
became the first Ohioan since Longworth to serve as Speaker of the House.
Besides his widow, Longworth left one child, Paulina
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century. He served as House Majority Leader from 1923 to 1925 and subsequently as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
from 1925 to 1931.
Early years and education
Nicholas was the only son of Nicholas Longworth II (June 16, 1844 – Jan 18, 1890) and Susan Walker. The Longworths were an old, prominent, and wealthy family which dominated CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Nicholas Longworth II was the son of Joseph Longworth and the grandson of Nicholas Longworth, both distinguished citizens of Cincinnati. He graduated from Harvard University in 1866, studied law with his uncle Rufus King, and passed the bar in the spring of 1869. He was an active member of the bar and briefly served on the Supreme Court of Ohio, but he resigned this position and retired from the practice of law in 1883 upon his father’s death. He and Susan Walker, a daughter of Judge Timothy Walker
Timothy Walker (judge)
Timothy Walker was an American lawyer who founded the Cincinnati Law School and was its first Dean.-Biography:...
, a founding faculty and Dean of the Cincinnati Law School, were married on October 2, 1866.
Nicholas Longworth attended the Franklin School, a school for boys in Cincinnati, and then went on to attend Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
{Class of 1891}, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
(Alpha chapter) and the Porcellian Club
Porcellian Club
The Porcellian Club is a men's-only final club at Harvard University, sometimes called the Porc or the P.C. The year of founding is usually given as 1791, when a group began meeting under the name "the Argonauts," or as 1794, the year of the roast pig dinner at which the club, known first as "the...
. He was a talented, but not necessarily an industrious student; one friend wrote about him: “His good head made it easy for him to get perfectly respectable marks without doing much of any work.” After receiving his bachelor's degree from Harvard, he attended Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
for one year, but transferred to and received his law degree from Cincinnati Law School in 1894.
A gifted musician, Longworth was considered by Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. was one of the world's most prominent concert violinists, as well as a composer, teacher, conductor and a long-time director of the Curtis Institute of Music.-Early life:...
and others as one of the most talented amateur violinists in the United States. In a letter to his sister Clara Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
wrote "Your brother had a rare understanding of music. He penetrated directly into the spirit of music. It was his natural element." It is widely rumored that Longworth owned a Stradivarius which his wife Alice later burned in the fireplace. The violin, however, was just a very good copy of a Stradivarius and was not harmed. After he died, the violin was lent to up-and-coming artists. He also sang and played piano, which made him a welcome parlor guest.
Professional life and entry into politics
Longworth began a law practice in Cincinnati after being admitted to the Ohio bar in 1894. His political career began with a position on the city's Board of Education in 1898.As the protégé of Republican boss George Cox, Longworth was elected to the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
, serving in the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 1899 and 1900, then in the State Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
from 1901 to 1903. In 1902 he was instrumental in writing and passing the Longworth Act, a bill regulating the issuance of municipal bonds, which has been labeled "one of the most successful laws in Ohio's history" Longworth 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...
from the First Congressional District of Ohio
Ohio's 1st congressional district
Ohio's 1st congressional district is currently represented by Republican Steve Chabot. This district includes parts of Cincinnati, and borders both Kentucky and Indiana.-Cities:Cincinnati Cheviot Deer Park Forest Park Harrison Mount Healthy...
which included the city of Cincinnati and counties bordering 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...
and 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...
.
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....
society. He successfully wooed Alice Roosevelt
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was the only child of Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee....
, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
; they married in a White House ceremony in 1906.
Already well-known for his social success, Longworth first came to political prominence in 1910, when he led the successful Republican revolt against the autocratic rule of House Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Joseph G. Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...
. Throughout his political career, Longworth was a workhorse, especially on issues regarding foreign affairs and the protective tariff.
As the insurgent (or "Progressive") Republicans pulled apart from the conservatives in 1910–12, Longworth sided with the conservatives. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, Longworth's father-in-law, led the Progressives
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
, and bolted the Republican convention in the 1912 election
United States presidential election, 1912
The United States presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of its conservative wing. After former President Theodore Roosevelt failed to receive the Republican nomination, he called...
to set up a third party. However, many of Roosevelt's closest political allies, including Longworth, supported conservative standard-bearer President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
. Longworth's decision caused a permanent chill in his marriage to Roosevelt's daughter, Alice
Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was the only child of Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee....
. For men like Longworth expecting a future in politics, bolting the Republican party ticket was simply too radical a step. Also, Longworth agreed more with Taft than Roosevelt on critical issues like an independent judiciary and support for business.
Because the Progressive Party ran a candidate in his district, Longworth was defeated (by only 105 votes) in 1912. (Longworth's wife appeared at a speech by his Progressive opponent and would thereafter joke that it was she who cost her husband at least 100 of those 105 votes.)
Majority leader and Speaker of the House
Longworth returned to Congress in 1914, serving until his death, and became Majority Leader of the House in 1923.After an effective term as Majority Leader, Longworth moved up to become Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
in 1925 after Frederick Gillett took a seat in 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...
. Ironically, his first act as speaker was to restore much of the power to the office that had been stripped away during the revolt he had led against Cannon.
Longworth began his tenure by punishing 13 self-styled Progressives, who supported Robert LaFollette
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
instead of Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
in 1924. He expelled the rebels from the GOP caucus, and stripped even the committee chairmen among them of all seniority. Longworth took control of the Steering Committee and Committee on Committees and placed his own men on the Rules Committee, guaranteeing that he controlled the work of the House.
Ignoring the left wing of the party, Longworth passed legislation that aimed for balanced budgets and major tax reductions, resisting any new programs that would expand the role of government. However, Longworth defied President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
in 1931 by supporting the long-stalled veterans bonus bill; it passed but Hoover vetoed it, setting up the Bonus March of 1932.
Longworth reached across the aisle to Democrats, forging a productive relationship with John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner, IV , was the 32nd Vice President of the United States and the 44th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives .- Early life and family :...
, that party's House minority leader, who relied upon informal methods to strengthen his party's influence. He enjoyed a close rapport with Garner, who said of Longworth, "I was the heathen and Nick was the aristocrat." Together they hosted a daily gathering of Democratic and Republican congressmen in a secluded room in the Capitol, which became known as the "Bureau of Education." This unofficial club provided a place for politicians to relax with a drink and get to know and work with one another across party lines.
Final days and death
Longworth served as speaker until 1931, after the Republicans lost their House majority in the election of 1930. Journalist Frank R. Kent of the Baltimore Sun wrote of him:- "Without any revision of the rules he completely recovered the power of the speakership and was the undisputed leader of the House with as autocratic control as either Reed or Cannon. It is true he exercised this power with infinitely more tact and grace and gumption and without that touch of offensive arrogance that characterized former House Czars. But he was just as much a Czar. What Mr. Longworth clearly proved was this matter of leadership depends not so much on the rules but on the man.
While visiting his friend Dwight Filley Davis
Dwight F. Davis
Dwight Filley Davis was an American tennis player and politician. He is best remembered as the founder of the Davis Cup international tennis competition.-Biography:...
(of Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
fame), and Daniel J. Duckett in Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
, Longworth caught pneumonia and died unexpectedly. His wife Alice brought his body back to Cincinnati, where it was interred 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....
. At a memorial service held at the Library of Congress on May 3, 1931, his old friends Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist
Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. was one of the world's most prominent concert violinists, as well as a composer, teacher, conductor and a long-time director of the Curtis Institute of Music.-Early life:...
and Harold Bauer
Harold Bauer
Harold Bauer was a noted pianist who began his musical career as a violinist.Harold Bauer was born in London; his father was a German violinist and his mother was English. He took up the study of the violin under the direction of his father and Adolf Pollitzer. He made his debut as a violinist in...
played Brahms's D minor sonata.
Character
One historian sums up Longworth: "Debonair and aristocratic, given to wearing spats and carrying a gold-headed cane, he was anything but a typical politician. He was perpetually cheerful, quick with a joke or witty retort, and unfailingly friendly. He seemed never to have a care and made hard decisions with such ease and detachment that some people wondered if anything at all really mattered to him."One particular famous retort is told about Longworth. One day, while lounging in a chair at the Capitol, another member of the House ran his hand over Longworth's bald pate and commented, "Nice and smooth. Feels just like my wife's bottom." Longworth felt his own head and returned an answer: "Yes, so it does."
Legacy
Nicholas Longworth strengthened the power of the House of Representatives. He was popular on both sides of the aisle, and his years of leadership are commemorated in the Longworth House Office BuildingLongworth House Office Building
The Longworth House Office Building is one of four office buildings used by the United States House of Representatives. The building is located south of the Capitol, bounded by Independence Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, C Street S.E., and South Capitol Street, in southeast Washington...
on Capitol Hill.
In the 66 years following his tenure as Speaker of the House, no other Republican served consecutive terms as Speaker until Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
was re-elected after the 1996 election.
In 2011, John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
became the first Ohioan since Longworth to serve as Speaker of the House.
Besides his widow, Longworth left one child, Paulina
Paulina Longworth
Paulina Longworth Sturm was the only child of Alice Roosevelt, and the granddaughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt....
.
See also
- Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 1st District
- Alice Roosevelt LongworthAlice Roosevelt LongworthAlice Lee Roosevelt Longworth was the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. She was the only child of Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee....
– his wife - Paulina Longworth SturmPaulina LongworthPaulina Longworth Sturm was the only child of Alice Roosevelt, and the granddaughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt....
– his daughter - Joanna SturmJoanna SturmJoanna Mercedes Alessandra Sturm , philanthropist, historian is a great-granddaughter of 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and the granddaughter of Alice Roosevelt Longworth...
– granddaughter - Clara Longworth de ChambrunClara Longworth de ChambrunClara Eleanor Longworth de Chambrun, Comtesse de Chambrun was an American patron of the arts and scholar of Shakespeare.- Life :...
– his sister - Longworth House Office BuildingLongworth House Office BuildingThe Longworth House Office Building is one of four office buildings used by the United States House of Representatives. The building is located south of the Capitol, bounded by Independence Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, C Street S.E., and South Capitol Street, in southeast Washington...
Congressional office building - Longworth familyLongworth familyThe Longworth family is most closely associated with Cincinnati, Ohio, and was one of Cincinnati's better-known families during the 19th and 20th centuries. The founder of the Ohio family, Nicholas Longworth , came to Cincinnati from Newark, New Jersey sometime before 1808...
- Daniel J. Duckett
External links
- Nicholas Longworth at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...