64th United States Congress

The 64th Congress of the United States , made up of the House and Senate , was the legislature of the United States . Its legislative period lasted from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917. All members of the House of Representatives and a third of the senators ( Class III ) were elected in the 1914 congressional elections. This resulted in a majority in both chambers for the Democratic Party , which with Woodrow Wilson also provided the president. The Republican Party only had the role in the opposition. During the legislative period there were a few resignations and deaths, but these did not change the majority. In the US Senate elections, the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution was applied for the first time , stating that Senators are elected by the people of their respective states. The Congress met in the American capital Washington, DC The United States at that time consisted of 48 states. The distribution of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1910 census .

Important events

See also 1915 , 1916 and 1917 World politics is overshadowed by the events of the First World War , which has been underway in Europe since August 1914. The USA stayed out of the war until April 6, 1917.

March 4, 1915: beginning of the legislature of the 64th Congress
May 7, 1915: The British steamer RMS Lusitania is sunk by the German Navy. 128 were Americans among the 1200 or so dead.
June 9, 1915: US Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigns.
July 24, 1915: The excursion ship SS Eastland capsizes near Chicago , killing 844 people.
July 28, 1915: The US begins the occupation of Haiti .
August 5th - 23rd: A hurricane sweeps across New Orleans and claims 275 victims.
March 8 and 9, 1916: In the course of the unrest in Mexico at the time, border incidents occur on the border with the USA when around 500 Mexicans attack the city of Columbus in New Mexico . 12 American soldiers die in the process. The Mexicans are eventually repulsed by an American cavalry unit. As a result, President Wilson sends 12,000 soldiers to control the Mexican border.
May 5, 1916: The United States Marines capture the Dominican Republic .
July 30, 1916: German agents cause the Black Tom explosion in Jersey City , New Jersey . There are at least 7 dead.
November 7, 1916: US presidential and congressional elections. President Wilson will be re-elected. In the congressional elections, the Democratic Party wins a majority in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, the Republican Party has the most seats. However, with the help of MPs from smaller parties, the Democrats can secure a majority of the seats.
January 11, 1917: German saboteurs trigger the so-called Kingsland explosion. The event is one of the reasons for the later American entry into the First World War.
February 3, 1917: the US Senate breaks off diplomatic contacts with Germany.

The main laws

During the session of the 64th Congress, the following federal laws were passed ( see also: Legislative procedure ):

May 15, 1916: Kern Amendment
May 29, 1916: Fraudulent Advertising Act of 1916
May 31, 1916: Tillman Act
June 3, 1916: National Defense Act of 1916
June 9, 1916: Chamberlain-Ferris Act
July 11, 1916: Federal Aid Road Act of 1916
July 11, 1916: Terminal Inspection Act of 1916
July 17, 1916: Federal Farm Loan Act
July 27, 1916: River and Harbors Act of 1916
July 28, 1916: Space Basis Act
July 28, 1916: Railway Mail Service Pay Act
August 9, 1916: Uniform Bill of Lading Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Irrigation District Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Wildlife Game Refuges Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Grain Standards Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Cotton Futures Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Brush Disposal Act of 1916
August 11, 1916: Warehouse Act of 1916
August 25, 1916: National Park Service Act
August 29, 1916: 2nd Uniform Bill of Lading Act of 1916
August 29, 1916: Jones Act (affects the Philippines )
August 29, 1916: Federal Possession and Control Act of 1916
August 29, 1916: Army Appropriations Act of 1916
August 29, 1916: Naval Act of 1916
August 29, 1916: Naval Reserve Force Act
August 31, 1916: Federal Standard Container Act
August 31, 1916: Standard Fruits and Vegetable Baskets and Containers Act of 1916
September 1, 1916: Keating-Owen Act
September 3, 1916: Adamson Act
September 7, 1916: Merchant Marine Act of 1916
September 7, 1916: Workingmen's Compensation Act
September 8, 1916: Anti-Dumping Act of 1916
September 8, 1916: Emergency Revenue Act of 1916
October 20, 1916: Special Air Preparedness Act
December 29, 1916: Stock-Raising Homestead Act
February 5, 1917: Immigration Act of 1917
February 22, 1917: Federal Interpleader Act of 1917
February 23, 1917: Smith-Hughes Act
February 26, 1917: Mount McKinley National Park see also Denali National Park
March 1, 1917: Flood Control Act of 1917
March 2, 1917: Jones-Shafroth Act
March 3, 1917: Reed Amendment
March 3, 1917: Sheppard Bone-Dry Act
March 3, 1917: Special Preparedness Fund Act of 1917
March 4, 1917: Timber Export Act

Composition according to parties

senate

Democratic Party: 56 (majority)
Republican Party: 40
Others (0

Total: 96

House of Representatives

Democratic Party: 230 (majority)
Republican Party: 196
Others: 9

Total: 435

There were also five congressional delegates who were not entitled to vote

Public officials

senate

President of the Senate : Thomas Riley Marshall (D)
President per tempore : James Paul Clarke (D) until October 1, 1916, then William Saulsbury (D)

Leadership of the majority party

Majority Leader: J. Hamilton Lewis (D)

Leadership of the minority party

Minority Leader (Whip): Charles Curtis (R)

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House of Representatives : Champ Clark (D)

Leadership of the majority party

Majority Leader: Claude Kitchin (D)

Leadership of the minority party

Minority Leader: James Mann (R)

Senate members

The following senators represented their respective states in the 64th Congress:

Alabama

2. John H. Bankhead (D)
3. Oscar Underwood (D)

Arizona

1. Henry F. Ashurst (D)
3. Marcus A. Smith (D)

Arkansas

2. Joseph Taylor Robinson (D)
3. James Paul Clarke (D) until October 1, 1916
- William F. Kirby (D) from November 8, 1916

California

1. John D. Works (R)
3. James D. Phelan (D)

Colorado

2. John F. Shafroth (D)
3. Charles Spalding Thomas (D)

Connecticut

1. George P. McLean (R)
3. Frank B. Brandegee (R)

Delaware

1. Henry A. du Pont (R)
2. Willard Saulsbury Jr (D)

Florida

1. Nathan P. Bryan (D)
3. Duncan U. Fletcher (D)

Georgia

2. Thomas W. Hardwick (D)
3. Michael Hoke Smith (D)

Idaho

2. William Borah (R)
3. James H. Brady (R)

Illinois

2. J. Hamilton Lewis (D)
3. Lawrence Yates Sherman (R)

Indiana

1. John W. Kern (D)
3. Benjamin F. Shively (D) until March 14, 1916
- Thomas Taggart (D) from March 20 to November 7, 1916
- James Eli Watson (R) from November 8, 1916

Iowa

2. William Squire Kenyon (R)
3. Albert B. Cummins (R)

Kansas

2. William Howard Thompson (D)
3. Charles Curtis (R)

Kentucky

2. Ollie Murray James (D)
3. JCW Beckham (D)

Louisiana

2. Joseph E. Ransdell (D)
3. Robert F. Broussard (D)

Maine

1. Charles Fletcher Johnson (R)
2. Edwin C. Burleigh (R) through June 16, 1916
- Bert M. Fernald (R) from September 11, 1916

Maryland

1. Francis Lee (D)
3. John Walter Smith (D)

Massachusetts

1. Henry Cabot Lodge (R)
2. John Wingate Weeks (R)

Michigan

1. Charles E. Townsend (R)
2. William Alden Smith (R)

Minnesota

1. Moses Edwin Clapp (R)
2. Knute Nelson (R)

Mississippi

1. John Sharp Williams (D)
2. James K. Vardaman (D)

Missouri

1. James A. Reed (R)
3. William J. Stone (D)

Montana

1. Henry L. Myers (D)
2. Thomas J. Walsh (D)

Nebraska

1. Gilbert Monell Hitchcock (D)
2. George W. Norris (R)

Nevada

1. Key Pittman (D)
3. Francis G. Newlands (D)

New Hampshire

2. Henry F. Hollis (D)
3. Jacob Harold Gallinger (R)

New Jersey

1. James Edgar Martine (D)
2. William Hughes (D)

New Mexico

1. Thomas B. Catron (R)
2. Albert B. Fall (R)

new York

1. James Aloysius O'Gorman (D)
3. James W. Wadsworth Jr. (R)

North Carolina

2. Furnifold McLendel Simmons (D)
3. Lee Slater Overman (D)

North Dakota

1. Porter J. McCumber (R)
3. Asle Gronna (R)

Ohio

1. Atlee Pomeree (D)
3. Warren G. Harding (R)

Oklahoma

2. Robert Latham Owen (D)
3. Thomas Gore (D)

Oregon

2. Harry Lane (D)
3. George Earle Chamberlain (D)

Pennsylvania

1. George T. Oliver (R)
3. Boies Penrose (R)

Rhode Island

1. Henry F. Lippitt (R)
2. LeBaron Bradford Colt (R)

South carolina

2. Benjamin Tillman (D)
3. Ellison D. Smith (D)

South Dakota

2. Thomas Sterling (R)
3. Edwin S. Johnson (D)

Tennessee

1. Luke Lea (D)
2. John K. Shields (D)

Texas

1. Charles Allen Culberson (D)
2. Morris Sheppard (D)

Utah

1. George Sutherland (R)
3. Reed Smoot (R)

Vermont

1. Carroll Smalley Page (R)
3. William P. Dillingham (R)

Virginia

1. Claude A. Swanson (D)
2. Thomas S. Martin (D)

Washington

1. Miles Poindexter (R)
3. Wesley Livsey Jones (R)

West Virginia

1. William E. Chilton (D)
2. Nathan Goff (R)

Wisconsin

1. Robert La Follette Sr. (R)
3. Paul O. Husting (D)

Wyoming

1. Clarence Don Clark (R)
2. Francis E. Warren (R)

Members of the House of Representatives

The following congressmen represented the interests of their respective states in the 64th Congress:

Alabama 9 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide

1. Oscar Lee Gray (D)
2. Stanley Hubert Dent, Jr. (D)
3. Henry B. Steagall (D)
4. Fred L. Blackmon (D)
5. James Thomas Heflin (D)
6. William Bacon Oliver (D)
7. John Lawson Burnett (D)
8. Edward B. Almon (D)
9. George Huddleston (D)
10. John William Abercrombie (D) elected state wide

Arizona state wide election

Carl Hayden (D)

Arkansas 7 constituencies.

California 11 constituencies.

1. William Kent (Independent)
2. John E. Raker (D)
3. Charles F. Curry (R)
4. Julius Kahn (R)
5. John I. Nolan (R)
6. John A. Elston (P = Progressive Party)
7. Denver S. Church (D)
8. Everis A. Hayes (R)
9. Charles Hiram Randall (Prohibitionist)
10. William Stephens (P) until July 22, 1916
- Henry S. Benedict (R) from November 7, 1916
11. William Kettner (D)

Colorado 4 constituencies

Connecticut 5 constituencies

Delaware state-wide choice

Thomas W. Miller (R)

Florida 4 constituencies

Georgia 12 constituencies

1. Charles Gordon Edwards (D)
2. Frank Park (D)
3. Charles R. Crisp (D)
4. William C. Adamson (D)
5. William S. Howard (D)
6. James W. Wise (D)
7. Gordon Lee (D)
8. Samuel Joelah Tribble (D) until December 8, 1916
- Tinsley W. Rucker (D) from January 11, 1917
9. Thomas Montgomery Bell (D)
10. Carl Vinson (D)
11. John Randall Walker (D)
12. Dudley Mays Hughes (D)

Idaho state-wide election

Robert M. McCracken (R)
Addison T. Smith (R)

Illinois 25 constituencies. In addition, two representatives were elected nationwide

1. Martin B. Madden (R)
2. James Robert Mann (R)
3. William W. Wilson (R)
4. James T. McDermott (D)
5. Adolph J. Sabath (D)
6. James McAndrews (D)
7. Frank Buchanan (D)
8. Thomas Gallagher (D)
9. Frederick A. Britten (R)
10. George Edmund Foss (R)
11. Ira Clifton Copley (P)
12. Charles Eugene Fuller (R)
13. John C. McKenzie (R)
14. Clyde Howard Tavenner (D)
15. Edward John King (R)
16. Claude U. Stone (D)
17. John Allen Sterling (R)
18. Joseph Gurney Cannon (R)
19. William B. McKinley (R)
20. Henry T. Rainey (D)
21. Loren E. Wheeler (R)
22. William A. Rodenberg (R)
23. Martin D. Foster (D)
24. Thomas Sutler Williams (R)
25. Edward E. Denison (R)
26. Burnett M. Chiperfield (R) elected state-wide
27. William E. Williams (D) elected nationwide

Indiana 13 constituencies

Iowa 11 constituencies

Kansas 8 constituencies.

Kentucky 11 constituencies

Louisiana 8 constituencies

Maine 4 constituencies

Maryland 6 constituencies.

Massachusetts 16 constituencies

Michigan 13 constituencies

Minnesota 10th constituencies

Mississippi 8 constituencies

1. Ezekiel S. Candler (D)
2. Hubert D. Stephens (D)
3. Benjamin G. Humphreys II (D)
4. Thomas U. Sisson (D)
5. Samuel Andrew Witherspoon (D) until November 24, 1915
- William W. Venable (D) from January 4, 1916
6. Pat Harrison (D)
7. Percy Quin (D)
8. James William Collier (D)

Missouri 16 constituencies

Montana state-wide choice

John M. Evans (D)
Tom Stout (D)

Nebraska 6 constituencies

Nevada state-wide election

Edwin Ewing Roberts (R)

New Hampshire 2 electoral divisions

1. Cyrus A. Sulloway (R)
2. Edward Hills Wason (R)

New Jersey 12 constituencies

New Mexico state-wide election

- Benigno C. Hernández (R)

New York 43 constituencies

1. Frederick C. Hicks (R)
2. C. Pope Caldwell (D)
3. Joseph V. Flynn (D)
4. Harry H. Dale (D)
5. James P. Maher (D)
6. Frederick W. Rowe (R)
7. John Joseph Fitzgerald (D)
8. Daniel J. Griffin (D)
9. Oscar W. Swift (R)
10. Reuben L. Haskell (R)
11. Daniel J. Riordan (D)
12. Meyer London (socialist)
13. George W. Loft (D)
14. Michael F. Farley (D)
15. Michael F. Conry (D) until March 2, 1917, after which the seat remained vacant
16. Peter J. Dooling (D)
17. John F. Carew (D)
18. Thomas G. Patten (D)
19. Walter M. Chandler (P)
20. Isaac Siegel (R)
21. George Murray Hulbert (D)
22. Henry Bruckner (D)
23. Joseph A. Goulden (D) until May 3, 1915
- William Stiles Bennet (R) from November 2, 1915
24. Woodson R. Oglesby (D)
25. James W. Husted (R)
26. Edmund Platt (R)
27. Charles B. Ward (R)
28. Rollin B. Sanford (R)
29. James S. Parker (R)
30. William B. Charles (R)
31. Bertrand Snell (R) from November 2, 1915
32. Luther W. Mott (R)
33. Homer P. Snyder (R)
34. George Winthrop Fairchild (R)
35.Walter W. Magee (R)
36. Norman J. Gould (R) from November 2, 1915
37. Harry H. Pratt (R)
38. Thomas B. Dunn (R)
39. Henry G. Danforth (R)
40. S. Wallace Dempsey (R)
41. Charles Bennett Smith (D)
42. Daniel A. Driscoll (D)
43. Charles Mann Hamilton (R)

North Carolina 10 constituencies

North Dakota 3 constituencies

Ohio 22 constituencies

Oklahoma 8 constituencies

Oregon 3 constituencies

Pennsylvania 32 constituencies. In addition, four MPs were elected nationwide

1. William Scott Vare (R)
2. George Scott Graham (R)
3rd J. Hampton Moore (R)
4. George W. Edmonds (R)
5. Peter E. Costello (R)
6. George P. Darrow (R)
7. Thomas S. Butler (R)
8. Henry Winfield Watson (R)
9. William Walton Griest (R)
10. John R. Farr (R)
11. John J. Casey (D)
12. Robert Douglas Heaton (R)
13. Arthur Granville Dewalt (D)
14. Louis Thomas McFadden (R)
15. Edgar Raymond Kiess (R)
16. John Vandling Lesher (D)
17. Benjamin K. Focht (R)
18. Aaron Shenk Kreider (R)
19. Warren Worth Bailey (D)
20. Cyrus William Beales (R)
21. Charles Hedding Rowland (R)
22. Abraham Lincoln Keister (R)
23. Robert Freeman Hopwood (R)
24. Henry Wilson Temple (R) from November 2, 1915
25. Michael Liebel (D)
26. Henry Joseph Steele (D)
27. Solomon Taylor North (R)
28. Samuel Henry Miller (R)
29. Stephen Geyer Porter (R)
30. William Henry Coleman (R)
31. John M. Morin (R)
32nd Andrew Jackson Barchfeld (R)
33. Thomas S. Crago (R) elected state wide
34. John Scott (R) elected state-wide
35. Daniel F. Lafean (R) elected state-wide
36. Mahlon Morris Garland (R) elected state-wide

Rhode Island 3 electoral constituencies

South Carolina 7 constituencies.

1. Richard S. Whaley (D)
2. James F. Byrnes (D)
3. Wyatt Aiken (D)
4. Joseph T. Johnson (D) until April 19, 1915
- Samuel J. Nicholls (D) from September 14, 1915
5. David E. Finley (D) until January 26, 1917
- Paul G. McCorkle (D) from February 21, 1917
6. J. Willard Ragsdale (D)
7. Asbury Francis Lever (D)

South Dakota 3 constituencies

Tennessee 10 constituencies

Texas 16 constituencies. In addition, two representatives were elected nationwide

1. Eugene Black (D)
2. Martin Dies (D)
3. James Young (D)
4. Sam Rayburn (D)
5. Hatton W. Sumners (D)
6. Rufus Hardy (D)
7. Alexander W. Gregg (D)
8. Joe H. Eagle (D)
9. George Farmer Burgess (D)
10. James P. Buchanan (D)
11. Robert Lee Henry (D)
12. Oscar Callaway (D)
13. John Hall Stephens (D)
14. James Luther Slayden (D)
15. John Nance Garner (D)
16. William Robert Smith (D)
17. James Harvey Davis (D) elected state-wide
18. A. Jeff McLemore (D) elected state-wide

Utah 2 constituencies

1. Joseph Howell (R)
2. James Henry Mays (D)

Vermont 2 constituencies

1. Frank L. Greene (R)
2. Porter H. Dale (R)

Virginia 10 constituencies

1. William Atkinson Jones (D)
2. Edward Everett Holland (D)
3. Andrew Jackson Montague (D)
4. Walter Allen Watson (D)
5. Edward W. Saunders (D)
6. Carter Glass (D)
7. James Hay (D) until October 1, 1916
- Thomas W. Harrison (D) from November 7, 1916
8. Charles Creighton Carlin (D)
9. C. Bascom Slemp (R)
10. Henry D. Flood (D)

Washington 5 constituencies

West Virginia 5 constituencies. In addition, a member was elected nationwide

1. Matthew M. Neely (D)
2. William Brown Jr. (D) until March 9, 1916
- George M. Bowers (R) from May 9, 1916
3. Adam Brown Littlepage (D)
4. Hunter Holmes Moss (R) by July 15, 1916
- Harry C. Woodyard (R) from November 7, 1916
5. Edward Cooper (R)
6. Howard Sutherland (R) elected state-wide

Wisconsin 11 constituencies

Wyoming state-wide elections

Franklin Wheeler Mondell (R)

Members of the House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote:

Alaska Territory : James Wickersham (R)
Territory of Hawaii : Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole (R)
Philippines :
- 1. Manuel Earnshaw
- 2. Manuel Quezon until October 15, 1916
Puerto Rico : Luis Muñoz Rivera (Unionist)

Web links

Commons : 64th United States Congress - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

bioguide.congress.gov (by entering 64 under Year OR Congress: you get a list of the members of the 64th Congress with a link to the official biographies; English)