Richard Achilles Ballinger
Encyclopedia
Richard Achilles Ballinger (July 9, 1858 – June 6, 1922) was mayor of Seattle, Washington
, from 1904–1906 and U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1909–1911.
Ballinger was born in Boonesboro, Iowa. He graduated in 1884 from Williams College
, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi
fraternity, and passed the bar exam in 1886.
He served 1904–1906 as mayor of Seattle, following the scandal-prone Yukon Gold Rush era administration of Thomas D. Humes. Elected with the support of the downtown business elite, he cracked down somewhat (but not heavily) on vice, opposed labor unions, and was a roadblock to the city's strong municipal ownership movement.
After serving as mayor of Seattle, Ballinger was commissioner of the General Land Office
from 1907–1908. In 1909, President William Howard Taft
appointed him Secretary of the Interior
. While Secretary, he was accused of having interfered with investigation into the legality of certain private coal
-land claims in Alaska
. After a series of articles in Collier's Weekly
that roused the conservationists
an investigation was demanded. A congressional committee exonerated Ballinger, but the questioning of committee counsel Louis D. Brandeis made Ballinger's anti-conservationism clear. He resigned in March, 1911. The incident split the Republican Party
and helped turn the election of 1912 against Taft.
Ballinger died on June 6, 1922, in Seattle, Washington
.
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...
, from 1904–1906 and U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1909–1911.
Ballinger was born in Boonesboro, Iowa. He graduated in 1884 from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi
Zeta Psi
The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American...
fraternity, and passed the bar exam in 1886.
He served 1904–1906 as mayor of Seattle, following the scandal-prone Yukon Gold Rush era administration of Thomas D. Humes. Elected with the support of the downtown business elite, he cracked down somewhat (but not heavily) on vice, opposed labor unions, and was a roadblock to the city's strong municipal ownership movement.
After serving as mayor of Seattle, Ballinger was commissioner of the General Land Office
General Land Office
The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
from 1907–1908. In 1909, 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...
appointed him Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
. While Secretary, he was accused of having interfered with investigation into the legality of certain private coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-land claims in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. After a series of articles in Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
that roused the conservationists
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
an investigation was demanded. A congressional committee exonerated Ballinger, but the questioning of committee counsel Louis D. Brandeis made Ballinger's anti-conservationism clear. He resigned in March, 1911. The incident split the Republican Party
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...
and helped turn the election of 1912 against Taft.
Ballinger died on June 6, 1922, in Seattle, Washington
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...
.