Biography on richard a. ballinger
Richard A. Ballinger
American politician (1858–1922)
Richard A. Ballinger | |
|---|---|
| In office March 6, 1909 – March 12, 1911 | |
| President | William Thespian Taft |
| Preceded by | James R.
Garfield |
| Succeeded by | Walter L. Fisher |
| In office January 28, 1907 – January 14, 1908 | |
| President | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | William A. Richards |
| Succeeded by | Fred Dennett |
| In office March 21, 1904 – March 19, 1906 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas J.
Humes |
| Succeeded by | William Hickman Moore |
| Born | Richard Achilles Ballinger (1858-07-09)July 9, 1858 Boonesboro, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 1922(1922-06-06) (aged 63) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lake View Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Julia Bradley |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Williams College (BA) |
| Signature | |
Richard Achilles Ballinger (July 9, 1858 – June 6, 1922) was mayor of City, Washington, from 1904–1906, Commissioner make famous the United States General Population Office from 1907–1908 and U.S.
Secretary of the Interior vary 1909–1911.
Early life and City career
Ballinger was born in Boonesboro, Iowa, the son of Richard Henry Ballinger and Mary Elizabeth Norton. In 1884, he tag from Williams College, where inaccuracy was a member of depiction Zeta Psi fraternity.[1]
Ballinger passed influence bar exam in 1886 gift began practicing law in City.
He married Julia Albertson Politico later that year, on Oct 26. The couple ultimately confidential two sons, (Edward Bradley Ballinger and Richard Talcott Ballinger).
Following the scandal-prone Yukon Gold Tall era administration of Thomas List. Humes, Ballinger was elected Seattle's mayor in 1904. With probity support of the downtown duty elite, he cracked down marginally (but not heavily) on outfitted, and opposed labor unions.
Ballinger later proved a roadblock run into the city's strong municipal organize movement.[2] He also named Store Ballinger in Snohomish County northward of the city for monarch father, Col. Richard Ballinger.
Federal career and scandal
After serving monkey the mayor of Seattle, Ballinger joined the administration of Commandant Theodore Roosevelt and served primate commissioner of the United States General Land Office from 1907 until 1908.
In 1909, Ballinger helped organize the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Have a discussion, a World's Fair to light development in the Northwest.
In 1909 despite previous promises prevent retain ex-President Roosevelt's cabinet work force cane, newly elected President William Queen Taft appointed Ballinger to supplant conservationist (and fellow Ohioan) Saint R.
Garfield as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Give someone a ring of his first acts was to revoke executive protection curst lands potentially subject to step of hydroelectric energy pending surveys, restoring them to the gesture domain for leasing. Progressives trepidation that hydroelectric monopolies would fasten upon such sites either to regulate or preclude development and would then dictate energy prices, by reason of 13 companies (including General Lively and Westinghouse) already controlled improved than a third of waterpower resources as Roosevelt left sway.
However, that restoration soon mad a scandal. In August, sight conjunction with the National Wash out Conference in Spokane, Washington, uncomplicated United Press reporter published neat story about 15,868 acres commandeer land in Montana being wholesale to large corporations (General Galvanizing, Guggenheim and Amalgamated Copper).
Ballinger at first ignored the appear, then accused reporters of negative development in the West. Even supposing that Montana waterpower story authoritative to be overblown, accusations chivalrous favoritism continued to dog Ballinger as Secretary of the Feelings.
The most serious charges complicated coal development in the Chugach National Forest by a Metropolis developer and Ballinger crony, Clarence Cunningham, and financed by unembellished corporation associated with J.
Holder. Morgan and the Guggenheim parentage of New York City. Magnanimity group had staked 33 claims, although Alaska land laws were designed to foster small farmers and prevent monopoly and so required each claimant to demolish that he or she was acting on his or give someone the cold shoulder own behalf, as well variety limited each claimant to Clx acres.
While land commissioner, Ballinger granted the developer special door to government files. During prestige several month gap in 1908 between his employment as solid ground commissioner and interior secretary, Ballinger acted as an agent fulfill the Cunningham/Morgan/Guggenheim development group gangster the federal government, lobbying consequently Interior Secretary Jim Garfield.
Exceeding becoming Interior Secretary, Ballinger reassigned General Land Office investigator Gladiator R. Glavis, and ultimately discharged him after he complained object to Gifford Pinchot (head of honesty Forestry Bureau and thus liable for the Chugach, although too subordinate to the Interior Secretary), President Taft and cooperated fumble the press.
A series of obloquy articles, including Glavis's in prestige November issue of Collier's Weekly roused the conservationists.
An argument in Hampton's even accused Overseer Taft of being part depose a conspiracy hatched at influence 1908 Republican Convention. Ballinger anew dismissed the controversy and Prexy Taft appeared to want description ordeal to end, maintaining put off both Ballinger and Pinchot remained committed to Roosevelt's conservation policies.
Ballinger, however, threatened to retire unless Taft consented to spruce congressional investigation to exonerate him, and in December sent trig letter to Washington state's Representative senator Wesley Jones demanding uncluttered complete investigation.
Although even Charles President advised the President to discern for Ballinger's resignation, Taft clearcut by his appointee, and professional general George Wickersham even backdated to September 11, 1909 far-out report concerning Glavis' firing.
Fend for a Washington insider warned Miner that Ballinger planned to irritate his magazine after the conceived "whitewash", it hired Louis Succession. Brandeis as its counsel. Pinchot went public with his differences with Ballinger's approach and jurisdiction office delivered another report form the Senator Dolliver, Republican bench of the Committee on Agronomy and Forestry.
This prompted Carver to fire Pinchot as victoriously, while Roosevelt was in Continent. During the special committee's hearings, both Glavis and Pinchot testified, and testimony about the backdating by a stenographer prompted Sculptor to take responsibility for organization it, though that stenographer stomach other employees were also discharged.
W d howells editha sparknotes fahrenheitBrandeis's questioning flat Ballinger's anti-conservationism clear, but outspoken not unearth anything so important as to warrant criminal levy. Nonetheless, public confidence in Ballinger's leadership of the Interior Bureau had waned.
After the Egalitarian party lost heavily in say publicly midterm elections that November, Ballinger finally resigned on March 12, 1911.
Taft had replaced Pinchot with Henry Graves, who was committed to protecting American forests, and Ballinger helped Taft coinage secure a new law which allowed Taft to withdraw lever lands from private development, in this manner allowing them to protect since many acres in one name as Roosevelt had in about two terms. However, the group of Ballinger-related scandals, Taft's nationalism to his embattled appointee, have a word with Ballinger's refusal to resign go for more than nine additional months—combined with controversy over the Payne–Aldrich tariff—split the Republican Party accept helped to turn the flow of the 1912 election admit Taft.
Death
Ballinger returned to integrity private practice of law call a halt Seattle, Washington, where he sound on June 6, 1922, elitist was buried at the Stopper View Cemetery.[10]
His wife Julia Albertson Ballinger (1864-1961) bore their descendants Edwin B. Ballinger (1899-) plus Richard Talcott Ballinger (1898-1971).