William Robb Eaton (December 17, 1877 – December 16, 1942) was an American businessman, lawyer, Spanish-American War veteran, and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1929 to 1933.
William R. Eaton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 17, 1877 Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | December 16, 1942 (aged 64) Denver, Colorado |
| Resting place | Fairmount Cemetery |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Denver (law, 1909) |
| Occupation | Attorney, district attorney, senator, congressman |
| Committees | Public Lands Committee[1] |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | National Guard of Colorado |
| Years of service | 1898 to 1904 |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Unit | Troop B, First Squadron Cavalry |
He was the nephew of Charles Aubrey Eaton.[2]
Early life and education
editBorn in Pugwash, Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, his parents were Cyrus B. and Margaret S. (Whidden) Eaton.[3] He was of New England ancestry.[4] Eaton immigrated to the United States with his parents who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1878, and in Denver, Colorado, in 1881. He attended public and private schools.[2]
Early and law school
editBeginning at the age of 12, he was employed as a bank clerk from 1889 to 1901.[2][5] He engaged as a jobber and wholesaler and in the warehouse business 1901 to 1909. He served in Troop B, First Squadron Cavalry, National Guard of Colorado from 1898 to 1904.[2] He served during the Spanish–American War.[1]
He was graduated from the law department of the University of Denver in 1909. He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Denver, Colorado.
Political career
editHe served as deputy district attorney of the second judicial district 1909 to 1913.[2]
State legislature
editHe served as member of the State senate 1915 to 1918 and 1923 to 1926.[2] He was a sponsor of the Colorado State Workmen's Compensation Law in 1915.[1] He specialized in oil and shale land property rights, insurance, mining, and corporate law.[3] He served on the Public Lands Committee. He was interested in the establishment of military installations and the expansion of the Fitzsimons General Hospital near Denver.[1]
Congress
editEaton was elected as a Republican to the 71st and 72nd Congresses (March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the 73rd Congress and for election in 1934 to the 74th Congress.[2] His loss in 1932 is attributed to his position that the prohibition should not have been repealed.[1]
Later career
editHe resumed the practice of law in Denver, Colorado.[2] He was a member of the Masonic Temple, the city, state, national and international bar associations, the National Association for Constitutional Government. He was also a member of the Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims and the Colorado State Historical Society.[1]
Personal life
editOn September 16, 1909, he married Liela Carter.[3] She was president of the board of the State Industrial School for Girls at Mt. Morrison. Her residence was the Colburn Hotel in Denver.[6]
Death and burial
editHe died in Denver on December 16, 1942, as the result of complications following surgery[2][5] and was interred in Denver's Fairmount Cemetery.[2]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William R. Eaton | 63,258 | 58.08% | |||
| Democratic | S. Harrison White (incumbent) | 44,713 | 41.05% | |||
| Workers | William R. Dietrich | 949 | 0.87% | |||
| Majority | 18,545 | 17.03% | ||||
| Total votes | 108,920 | 100% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William R. Eaton (incumbent) | 39,907 | 50.33% | |
| Democratic | Lawrence Lewis | 38,152 | 48.12% | |
| Farmer–Labor | W.R. Duke | 813 | 1.03% | |
| Communist | Louis A. Zeitlin | 411 | 0.52% | |
| Majority | 1,755 | 2.21% | ||
| Total votes | 79,283 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lawrence Lewis | 70,826 | 54.41% | |||
| Republican | William R. Eaton (incumbent) | 56,601 | 43.49% | |||
| Socialist | Bruce Lamont | 1,926 | 1.48% | |||
| Communist | Charles Guynn | 422 | 0.32% | |||
| Farmer–Labor | W. R. Duke | 385 | 0.30% | |||
| Majority | 14,225 | 10.92% | ||||
| Total votes | 130,160 | 100% | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lawrence Lewis (incumbent) | 59,744 | 56.04% | |
| Republican | William R. Eaton | 34,073 | 31.96% | |
| Old Age Pension | Charles W. Varnum | 9,511 | 8.92% | |
| Socialist | Carle Whitehead | 2,540 | 2.38% | |
| Communist | George Bardwell | 743 | 0.70% | |
| Majority | 25,671 | 24.08% | ||
| Total votes | 106,611 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Congress, United States (1943). Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 122.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j
- United States Congress. "William R. Eaton (id: E000027)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- United States Congress. "William R. Eaton (id: E000027)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ a b c Schwarz, Julius Caesar (1937). Who's who in Law. pp. 275–276.
- ^ Congress, United States (1925). Official Congressional Directory. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 12.
- ^ a b "William R. Eaton, Ex-Congressman, Dies in Denver". The Daily Sentinel. December 17, 1942. p. 3. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- ^ "Yearbook of the State of Colorado, 1945–1947" (PDF). State of Colorado. p. 88. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 6, 1928" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Compiled from official sources by William Tyler Page. March 25, 1929. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1930" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Compiled from official sources by William Tyler Page. January 8, 1931. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Statistics of the Congressional and Presidential Election of November 8, 1932" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Compiled from official sources by George D. Ellis under direction of South Trimble. February 3, 1933. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1934" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Compiled from official sources by Leroy D. Brandon under direction of South Trimble. April 11, 1935. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)