Porter J. McCumber
Encyclopedia
Porter James McCumber was a United States Senator from North Dakota
. Born in Crete, Illinois
, he moved with his parents to Rochester, Minnesota
the same year. He attended the common schools and taught school for a few years, and graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor in 1880. He was admitted to the bar
and commenced practice at Wahpeton, Dakota Territory
in 1881. He was a member of the Territorial House of Representatives
in 1885 and a member of the Territorial Senate
in 1887. He served as State's attorney of Richland County
from 1889 to 1891 and was elected as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate in 1899. McCumber won reelection in 1905, 1911, and 1916 and served from March 4, 1899, to March 4, 1923; he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1922. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Fifty-seventh Congress) and a member of the Committee on Pensions (Fifty-eighth through Sixty-second and Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses), the Committee on Indian Affairs (Fifty-ninth Congress), the Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses), and the Committee on Finance
(Sixty-seventh Congress). One of his main legislative accomplishments was the Fordney-McCumber Tariff
Act of 1922.
McCumber resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C.
and was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
in 1925 as a member of the International Joint Commission
to pass upon all cases involving the use of the boundary waters between the United States and Canada
, in which capacity he served until his death in Washington, D.C. in 1933. His first interment was in the Abbey Mausoleum, adjoining Arlington National Cemetery
; the remains were removed and reinterred in unknown location.
In his youth, McCumber reportedly worked as a grain stacker on the farm of George Worner
near Great Bend
. Worner was one of the town founder's and served in county government as well as the North Dakota House of Representatives
.
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Born in Crete, Illinois
Crete, Illinois
Crete is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,346 at the 2000 census. Originally named Wood's Corner, it was founded in 1836 by Vermonters Dyantha and Willard Wood.-Geography:Crete is located at ....
, he moved with his parents to Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
the same year. He attended the common schools and taught school for a few years, and graduated from the law department of 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...
at Ann Arbor in 1880. He 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:...
and commenced practice at Wahpeton, Dakota Territory
Wahpeton, North Dakota
The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
in 1881. He was a member of the Territorial House of Representatives
North Dakota House of Representatives
The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate....
in 1885 and a member of the Territorial Senate
North Dakota Senate
The North Dakota Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of Representatives.North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts apportioned by population as determined by the decennial census...
in 1887. He served as State's attorney of Richland County
Richland County, North Dakota
-History:Richland County wa formed in 1873. It was named for Morgan T. Rich, an early settler in the area.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,998 people, 6,885 households, and 4,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There...
from 1889 to 1891 and was elected as a 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...
to the U.S. Senate in 1899. McCumber won reelection in 1905, 1911, and 1916 and served from March 4, 1899, to March 4, 1923; he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1922. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Fifty-seventh Congress) and a member of the Committee on Pensions (Fifty-eighth through Sixty-second and Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses), the Committee on Indian Affairs (Fifty-ninth Congress), the Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses), and the Committee on Finance
Committee on Finance
The Committee on Finance or Finance Committee may refer to:*Board of Finance in New England local government *Canadian Senate Standing Committee on National Finance, a standing committee of the Senate of Canada...
(Sixty-seventh Congress). One of his main legislative accomplishments was the Fordney-McCumber Tariff
Fordney-McCumber Tariff
The Fordney–McCumber Tariff of 1922 raised American tariffs in order to protect factories and farms. Congress displayed a pro-business attitude in passing the ad valorem tariff and in promoting foreign trade through providing huge loans to Europe, which in turn bought more American goods...
Act of 1922.
McCumber resumed the practice of law 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....
and was appointed by President 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 1925 as a member of the International Joint Commission
International Joint Commission
The International Joint Commission is an independent binational organization established by the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.The Commission has responsibilities related to the following treaties and agreements:...
to pass upon all cases involving the use of the boundary waters between the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in which capacity he served until his death in Washington, D.C. in 1933. His first interment was in the Abbey Mausoleum, adjoining Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
; the remains were removed and reinterred in unknown location.
In his youth, McCumber reportedly worked as a grain stacker on the farm of George Worner
George Worner
George Worner was a public official in Richland County in the U.S. state of North Dakota. He served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1925 to 1932.-Early life:...
near Great Bend
Great Bend, North Dakota
As of the 2000 Census, there were 118 people, 40 households, and 33 families residing in the city. The population density was 207.6 people per square mile . There were 42 housing units at an average density of 73.9 per square mile...
. Worner was one of the town founder's and served in county government as well as the North Dakota House of Representatives
North Dakota House of Representatives
The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate....
.
External links
- What Lies Ahead of This People, by Porter J. McCumber, National Magazine, July, 1905 (with photo)