Calvin S. Brice

Calvin S. Brice

Calvin Stewart Brice (born September 17, 1845 in Canaan Township , Ohio , † December 15, 1898 ) was an American politician of the Democratic Party . From 1891 to 1897 he sat for the state of Ohio in the US Senate . From 1889 to 1892 he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee .

biography

On September 17, 1845, Calvin S. Brice was born to Elizabeth Stewart and William Kilpatrick Brice, a Presbyterian pastor. He was originally home schooled, but after some time moved to the Putnam County's public school system . In 1859 he was admitted to Miami University as a student . There he studied law . He later supported the university twice with funds, which is why a building ( Brice Hall ) was named after him. The building has now been torn down.

Military career and early career as a lawyer

As early as 1861 he tried to apply to the military, but was initially rejected due to his young age. In 1862 he was finally inducted into the army and initially served in the 86th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry in West Virginia . In 1863 he left the army to continue his studies. He then worked as a teacher before he went back to the army in 1864. He rose quickly in the Union Army and was at the end of the Civil War in the rank of lieutenant colonel .

After the end of the war, he retired from the army and started a career as a lawyer. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1865 and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He then worked as a lawyer.

Business career

After practicing law, Brice worked in the legal department of the Lake Erie and Louisville Railroad, a railroad company. Around the same time he made the acquaintance of Charles Foster , the then governor of Ohio. With Foster's support, Brice managed to guide the railway through the founder crash and to connect other areas to the route network. Finally, in 1887, Brice became president of the company now known as Lake Erie and Western Railroad .

In the course of time Brice accumulated a handsome fortune, which he invested in other railroad companies and banks. Later, Brice was entrusted with railroad projects in China. He was a founding member of the American Asiatic Association, an organization responsible for American trade interests in China during the open door policy .

Political career

During his economic success he played an increasingly important role in politics and the state. He was considered a Bourbon Democrat . In 1884 he worked for the future US President Grover Cleveland during the election campaign . In 1889 he was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee to succeed William Henry Barnum . He held this position until 1892.

In the Senate elections in 1890 , Brice was elected Senator to succeed Henry B. Payne, who was no longer in office . He served one legislative term. In 1897 he left the Senate and was succeeded by Joseph B. Foraker . He then withdrew from public life.

Brice died of pneumonia in 1898. Briceville , Tennessee , was named after him.

Web links

Commons : Calvin S. Brice  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Calvin S. Brice in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Calvin S. Brice in the database of Find a Grave (English)