Simeon D. Fess
Encyclopedia
Simeon Davison Fess was a Republican politician and educator from Ohio
. He served in the United States House of Representatives
and U.S. Senate
.
to Henry and Barbara (Herring) Fess, he was educated in country schools and graduated at Ohio Northern University
of Ada
in 1889 and married Eva C. Thomas the following year. After graduation he taught history and law at the university as well was working in the university administration from 1889-1896. Fess graduated from the law department at ONU in 1894 and served as dean of that department from 1896-1900. He then served as vice president of the university 1900-1902. He left for Illinois
to become a graduate student and lecturer at the University of Chicago
from 1902-1907. He then returned to Ohio and served as the president of Antioch College
of Yellow Springs
from 1907 to 1917.
to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from March 4, 1913-March 3, 1923 (6th District
1913-15, 7th District
1915-23). He served as chairman of the Committee on Education during the Sixty-sixth
and Sixty-seventh
Congresses and chairman of the Republican National Congressional Committee from 1918-1922. In 1922 he did not seek re-election, but ran for the U.S. Senate and won serving from March 4, 1923, to January 3, 1935. He served as chairman of the Committee on the Library
during Sixty-ninth
through Seventy-second
Congresses and as Republican Whip
from 1929 to 1933. He also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee
1930-32. He was an unsuccessful candidate for a third term as Senator in 1934.
and Knights of Pythias
. He died in Washington, D.C.
at the age of 75 and is interred at Glen Forest Cemetery in Yellow Springs, Ohio
.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He served in 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...
and U.S. 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...
.
Early life
Born on a farm near Harrod, OhioHarrod, Ohio
Harrod is a village in Allen County, Ohio, United States with a population of 491 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Lima, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Harrod is located at ....
to Henry and Barbara (Herring) Fess, he was educated in country schools and graduated at Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university located in the United States in Ada, Ohio, founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871. ONU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ONU is a sister...
of Ada
Ada, Ohio
Ada is a village in Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,582 at the 2000 census. In 2006, the village's population was estimated at 5,841, and the 2010 census counted 5,952 people....
in 1889 and married Eva C. Thomas the following year. After graduation he taught history and law at the university as well was working in the university administration from 1889-1896. Fess graduated from the law department at ONU in 1894 and served as dean of that department from 1896-1900. He then served as vice president of the university 1900-1902. He left for Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
to become a graduate student and lecturer at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
from 1902-1907. He then returned to Ohio and served as the president of Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
of Yellow Springs
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yellow Springs is a village in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and is the location of Antioch College and Antioch University Midwest. The population was 3,487 at the 2010 census...
from 1907 to 1917.
Politics
In 1912, while still serving at Antioch College, Fess was a delegate to the state constitutional convention as well as being elected as a RepublicanRepublican 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. House of Representatives, serving from March 4, 1913-March 3, 1923 (6th District
Ohio's 6th congressional district
Ohio's 6th congressional district is currently represented by Representative Bill Johnson . This district runs along the southeast side of the state, bordering Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania...
1913-15, 7th District
Ohio's 7th congressional district
Ohio's 7th congressional district is currently represented by Steve Austria. This district includes the cities of Springfield, Circleville, and Lancaster as well as some of the southern suburbs of Columbus and nearby counties.-List of representatives:...
1915-23). He served as chairman of the Committee on Education during the Sixty-sixth
66th United States Congress
The Sixty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1919 to March 4, 1921, during the last two years of...
and Sixty-seventh
67th United States Congress
The Sixty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1921 to March 4, 1923, during the first two years...
Congresses and chairman of the Republican National Congressional Committee from 1918-1922. In 1922 he did not seek re-election, but ran for the U.S. Senate and won serving from March 4, 1923, to January 3, 1935. He served as chairman of the Committee on the Library
United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library
The Joint Committee on the Library is a joint committee of the United States Congress devoted to the affairs and administration of the Library of Congress, which is the library of the federal legislature. There are five members of each house on the committee. It has no subcommittees.The committee...
during Sixty-ninth
69th United States Congress
The Sixty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1925 to March 4, 1927, during the third and fourth...
through Seventy-second
72nd United States Congress
The Seventy-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 to March 4, 1933, during the last two years...
Congresses and as Republican Whip
Assistant party leaders of the United States Senate
The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate....
from 1929 to 1933. He also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
1930-32. He was an unsuccessful candidate for a third term as Senator in 1934.
Retirement and death
Fess was a Methodist, an editor, an author and a member of the FreemasonsFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and Knights of Pythias
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
. He died 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....
at the age of 75 and is interred at Glen Forest Cemetery in Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Yellow Springs is a village in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and is the location of Antioch College and Antioch University Midwest. The population was 3,487 at the 2010 census...
.