Preston Lea

Preston Lea (born November 12, 1841 in Wilmington , Delaware , † December 4, 1916 in New Castle , Delaware) was an American politician and governor of the state of Delaware from 1905 to 1909 .

Early years

Preston Lea attended school in Lawrenceville , New Jersey . When he returned to Delaware, he began working in his father's mill at the age of 18. This company grew bigger and bigger over the years. Upon the death of his father in 1873, Preston Lea became vice president of the company that was now called William Lea & Sons . In 1876 he became the head of the company. In addition to the activities in this company, Lea was also active in other areas. As early as 1873 he was chairman of the Wilmington City Trade Committee. In 1888 he became president of the Union National Bank . He was also the vice president of an agricultural insurance company and president of the Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad and the Wilmington Tramway.

Political rise

Preston Lea was a member of the Republican Party , which did not play a major role in Delaware in the 30 years following the American Civil War . That had changed since the 1890s. In 1894, the party managed for the first time with Joshua H. Marvil a victory in a gubernatorial election in this state. However, the party was split into two camps. One side was sponsored by J. Edward Addicks, a Philadelphia millionaire . The other wing was in opposition to Addicks. In the gubernatorial elections of 1904, the Republicans therefore ran with two candidates. The Addicks wing candidate was Preston Lea, who beat Caleb S. Penneville, the Democratic Party candidate, with 46% of the vote . Penneville got 41% of the vote, while Joseph H. Chandler, the other Republican candidate, got just 2%.

Delaware Governor

Preston Lea took up his new office on January 17, 1905. Just a year after taking office, Addicks withdrew from politics. This reunited the two Republican wings in Delaware. The future US Senator Thomas Coleman du Pont became the new party chairman in Delaware . During Lea's reign, the law that linked voting rights to certain financial requirements was repealed. Above all, this benefited the poor and the black population, who were thus able to vote again. But it also benefited the Republican Party, which thereby built a loyal electorate that secured them decades of dominance in Delaware.

A border conflict with neighboring New Jersey has been resolved. A new school law stipulated compulsory schooling of at least three months. The question of prohibition , which was hotly debated in the United States at that time , was decided in Delaware for a local solution, leaving the decision to the three counties. As a result, the sale of alcoholic beverages was banned in Kent and Sussex Counties. The old Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was also sold to the federal government at that time.

Another résumé

After the end of his tenure, Preston Lea withdrew from politics. However, he continued to devote himself to his numerous business activities. He died in December 1916 and was buried in Wilmington. Preston Lea was married twice and had four children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Preston Lea in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Delaware (English)
• Preston Lea in the database of Find a Grave (English)