Henry T. Rainey

Henry Thomas Rainey (born August 20, 1860 in Carrollton , Greene County , Illinois , † August 19, 1934 in St. Louis , Missouri ) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and from 1933 until his death the following year 45. Speaker of the United States House of Representatives .

After attending public schools and Knox Academy , Henry Rainey continued his education at Knox College in Galesburg ; it was followed by degrees from Amherst College in 1883 and two years later from the Union College of Law in Chicago . In 1885 he was inducted into the bar and began practicing in his hometown of Carrollton.

Between 1887 and 1895, Rainey was employed as a legal assistant ( Master in chancery ) at the Greene County Court of Law before returning to private practice. His political career began in 1902 when he was first elected to the US House of Representatives for the 20th congressional constituency of Illinois. After being re-elected several times, he was defeated by Republican Guy L. Shaw in 1902 and left Congress . Two years later he regained his mandate.

When John Nance Garner , previously the minority leader of the Democratic minority faction in the House of Representatives, rose to become speaker following several victories of his party in congressional by-elections on December 7, 1931 , Rainey applied for the office of parliamentary group leader - now Majority Leader - and opposed it Whip John McDuffie through. On March 9, 1933, he again succeeded Garner after he had become Vice President of the United States at the side of Franklin D. Roosevelt .

Rainey became an important ally of Roosevelt. He made sure that the new government could implement the measures of the New Deal without major changes by parliament. Most of the reform programs were adopted in the session beginning in December 1933. Henry Rainey died in the summer of the following year, the day before his 74th birthday, of complications from a heart attack.

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personal data
SURNAME	Rainey, Henry T.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Rainey, Henry Thomas (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	August 20, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH	Carrollton , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH	August 19, 1934
Place of death	St. Louis , Missouri