William Kent (U.S. Congressman)
Encyclopedia
William Kent was an American who served as a United States
Congressman
representing the State of California
. He spearheaded the movement to create the Muir Woods National Monument
by donating land to the Federal Government
for the Monument.
Kent was born in Chicago
, Illinois
. His parents moved the family to Marin County
in California in the year 1871. He graduated from Yale University
in 1887, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
.
Upon graduation, Kent returned to Chicago and entered the real estate
and livestock
businesses. He also became involved in politics, becoming a member of the city council
and president of the Municipal Voter's League of Chicago.
In 1907, Kent returned to California and entered the national stage of politics by earning election as a Progressive Republican
to the 62nd United States Congress
. For the 63rd
and 64th Congress
es he was reelected as an Independent. In total, he served in Congress from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1917.
In 1916, Kent was the lead sponsor of the legislation in the House of Representatives that created the National Park Service
. The similar Senate bill was sponsored by Reed Smoot
. The legislation passed the House of Representatives on July 1, 1916, passed the Senate on August 5, and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson
on August 25, 1916.
Kent was also heavily involved in local politics; he was one of the major supporters of the creation of the Marin Municipal Water District
in 1911, and also backed early efforts for a Golden Gate Bridge. While Kent supported conservation, he also actively worked to promote growth and development in Marin, such as his support for the Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway
, a renowned Marin County attraction partially funded by his father, A.E. Kent. His wealth as one of the major landowners in the county increased greatly as property values rose.
Following his career in Congress, Kent was appointed to the United States Tariff Commission (now known as the United States International Trade Commission
). He served on the Commission from March 21, 1917 to March 31, 1920.
Kent was also a philanthropist
. Together with his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, he purchased 611 acres (2.5 km²) of one the last remaining stands of coast redwoods along Redwood Creek
north of San Francisco Bay
. To protect the redwood grove from development, he donated 295 acres (1.19 km²) to the Federal Government. President Theodore Roosevelt
declared the area a national monument
in 1908 and suggested naming the monument after Kent. Kent demurred and suggested the grove be named Muir Woods National Monument
, after naturalist John Muir
. Portraits of the Kent family by artist Herbert A. Collins
hang there.
He was the father of Sherman Kent
and Roger Kent
, and his wife was the daughter of Yale professor and administrator Thomas Anthony Thacher
; and the brother-in-law of Sherman Day Thacher
.
Kent died in Kentfield, California
. His remains were cremated in Oakland, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congressman
Congressperson
A Member of Congress is a term used for a politician who has become qualified, appointed or elected, and inducted into some official body , typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature...
representing the State of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He spearheaded the movement to create the Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, north of San Francisco and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
by donating land to the Federal Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
for the Monument.
Kent was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, 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,...
. His parents moved the family to Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
in California in the year 1871. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1887, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
.
Upon graduation, Kent returned to Chicago and entered the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
businesses. He also became involved in politics, becoming a member of the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
and president of the Municipal Voter's League of Chicago.
In 1907, Kent returned to California and entered the national stage of politics by earning election as a Progressive 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 62nd United States Congress
62nd United States Congress
- House of Representatives :* Democratic : 230 * Republican : 162* Socialist : 1* Independent : 1TOTAL members: 394-Senate:* President: James S...
. For the 63rd
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
and 64th Congress
64th United States Congress
The Sixty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917, during the third and fourth...
es he was reelected as an Independent. In total, he served in Congress from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1917.
In 1916, Kent was the lead sponsor of the legislation in the House of Representatives that created the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The similar Senate bill was sponsored by Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot
Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
. The legislation passed the House of Representatives on July 1, 1916, passed the Senate on August 5, and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
on August 25, 1916.
Kent was also heavily involved in local politics; he was one of the major supporters of the creation of the Marin Municipal Water District
Marin Municipal Water District
The Marin Municipal Water District is the government agency that provides drinking water to southern and central Marin County, California. Chartered in 1912, it became California's first municipal water district...
in 1911, and also backed early efforts for a Golden Gate Bridge. While Kent supported conservation, he also actively worked to promote growth and development in Marin, such as his support for the Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway
Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway
The Mount Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway was a scenic tourist railway operating between Mill Valley and the peak of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California, covering a distance of , with a spur line through Muir Woods. The railroad began service in January 1896, closing only a little over...
, a renowned Marin County attraction partially funded by his father, A.E. Kent. His wealth as one of the major landowners in the county increased greatly as property values rose.
Following his career in Congress, Kent was appointed to the United States Tariff Commission (now known as the United States International Trade Commission
United States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, bi-partisan, quasi-judicial, federal agency of the United States that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches. Further, the agency determines the impact of imports on U.S...
). He served on the Commission from March 21, 1917 to March 31, 1920.
Kent was also a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. Together with his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, he purchased 611 acres (2.5 km²) of one the last remaining stands of coast redwoods along Redwood Creek
Redwood Creek (Marin County)
Redwood Creek is a short but significant stream in Marin County, California. long, it drains a watershed which includes the Muir Woods National Monument, and reaches the Pacific Ocean north of the Golden Gate at Muir Beach.-History:...
north of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. To protect the redwood grove from development, he donated 295 acres (1.19 km²) to the Federal Government. 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...
declared the area a national monument
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
in 1908 and suggested naming the monument after Kent. Kent demurred and suggested the grove be named Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument
Muir Woods National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service on the Pacific coast of southwestern Marin County, California, north of San Francisco and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, after naturalist John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
. Portraits of the Kent family by artist Herbert A. Collins
Herbert A. Collins
Herbert Alexander Collins, Sr., was a Canadian-born American artist. He was known nationally in the United States as a landscape and portrait painter.-Early years:...
hang there.
He was the father of Sherman Kent
Sherman Kent
Sherman Kent, , was a Yale University history professor who, during World War II and through 17 years of Cold War-era service in the Central Intelligence Agency, pioneered many of the methods of intelligence analysis...
and Roger Kent
Roger Kent
Roger Kent, , was the son of William Kent and Elizabeth Kent. His father served in the U.S. Congress between 1910 and 1917. After his family returned to California, Kent attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley beginning in 1919. He then boarded for three years at the Thacher School to...
, and his wife was the daughter of Yale professor and administrator Thomas Anthony Thacher
Thomas Anthony Thacher
Thomas Anthony Thacher, , classicist and college administrator.-Early life:Thomas A. Thacher was born in Hartford, Conn., the son of Peter and Anne Thacher...
; and the brother-in-law of Sherman Day Thacher
Sherman Day Thacher
Sherman Day Thacher, , was the founder and headmaster of the Thacher School at Ojai, California. A graduate of Hopkins Grammar School, he attended Yale University and won second prize in English composition his Sophomore year; oration appointment Junior year; dissertation appointment Senior year;...
.
Kent died in Kentfield, California
Kentfield, California
Kentfield is a census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Kentfield is located on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad southwest of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet . The population was 6,485 at the 2010 census...
. His remains were cremated in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.