Thomas B. Kay

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Thomas B. Kay

Thomas Benjamin Kay (born February 28, 1864 in Trenton , New Jersey , † April 29, 1931 in Salem , Oregon ) was an American businessman and politician ( Republican Party ).

Early years

Thomas Benjamin Kay, son of Ann Slingsbey and Thomas Lister Kay, was born in Mercer County during the Civil War . His father moved to Oregon before he was born. After his birth, his mother and the rest of the family came to Oregon across the Isthmus of Panama in 1864 . The whole family then settled in Brownsville , where Thomas later became a partner in a wool mill.

He grew up in Brownsville and attended the local schools there. At the age of nine he started working as a spooler in his father's wool spinning mill - an activity he pursued until he was 14. Kay then moved to McMinnville, Oregon, where he attended Baptist College (now Linfield College ) for the next three years . In 1883 he left college. In the following years he worked for his father’s wool mill in the Portland (Oregon) branch .

Kay returned to McMinnville in 1884 where he began working in the clothing industry. He entered into a partnership with Bishop & Kay . Bishop left the partnership after four years and Kay partnered with Kay & Todd . On January 15, 1888, he married Cora M. Wallace in McMinnville. The couple had three children. In 1895 he began to work for his father as a salesman in the new wool mill in Salem (Oregon). He also served in the Oregon Militia for four years .

In 1897 Kay went on a business trip to New York for his father's wool mill and returned the next year. That year he sold his shares in the clothing company and then moved to Salem, where he took up the position of assistant manager in the wool mill. But he continued to work as a seller. After his father's death in 1900, he became President of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill - a position he held until his death.

Political career

Kay began his political career in local politics in McMinnville, where he served on the city council and school board. In 1902 he was elected a Republican to the Oregon House of Representatives for a two-year term . He represented the 1st District ( Marion County ) and chaired the Ways and Means Committee. Kay was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives for a second term in 1904 and served in the 1905 legislative session. During that term, he lost his post as speaker with one vote to AL Mills. In 1906 he was elected to the Oregon Senate for a four-year term . He again represented the 1st District Republican and served in the 1909 Special Session in the Oregon Legislative Assembly .

He did not run for re-election in 1910. Instead, he successfully ran for the Republican nomination for Treasurer of State of Oregon. In the subsequent elections in November 1910, he was elected Treasurer of State of Oregon for a four-year term and took up his post on January 4, 1911. He was re-elected in 1914 for a further four-year term. He held the post until January 6, 1919. During that time he was occasionally traded as a candidate for the post of Governor of Oregon and a seat in the US Senate .

In 1920 he returned to state politics. Kay was re-elected to the Oregon House of Representatives for the 1st Ward. He served his two-year term. He was re-elected in 1922 and served in the 1923 legislative session. Kay was re-elected Treasurer of State of Oregon in 1924 and took up his post on January 4, 1925. He was re-elected in 1928. He held his post until his death in 1931. His 14-year tenure was the longest tenure as Treasurer of State in Oregon history.

Late years

Kay has been a member of several brotherhoods including the Freemasons as a member of the Knights Templar , the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks , the Salem Commercial Club, and the Woodmen of the World . He has also served on the boards of the YMCA , the Illihee Club, the Portland Manufacturers' Association and Willamette University in Salem. He was also director of the Oregon Chamber of Commerce and president of the state Board of Trade . Thomas Benjamin Kay died on April 29, 1931, at the age of 67.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e f g h i Carey, Charles Henry: History of Oregon. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co., Vol. 2, 1922, p. 365
  2. ^ A b c Thomas B. Kay , Salem Online History, Salem Public Library
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g Chapman Publishing Company: Portrait and Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley, Oregon: Containing Original Sketches of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Chicago: Chapman Pub, 1903, p. 587
  4. ^ A b Corning, Howard M .: Dictionary of Oregon History, Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1989, p. 132
  5. ^ A b c Who's who in the Northwest , Volume 1, Western Press Association, 1911, p. 132
  6. ^ A b Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1903 Regular Session (22nd) , Oregon State Archive
  7. ^ Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1905 Regular Session (23rd) , Oregon State Archives
  8. ^ Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1907 Regular Session (24th) , Oregon State Archives
  9. ^ Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1909 Special Session (25th) , Oregon State Archives
  10. ^ Carey, Charles Henry: History of Oregon, Pioneer Historical Publishing Co., Volume 1, 1922, p. 901
  11. ^ Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1921 Regular Session (31st) , Oregon State Archives
  12. ^ Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1923 Regular Session (32nd) , Oregon State Archive
  13. ^ Treasurers of Oregon , Oregon Blue Book
personal data
SURNAME Kay, Thomas B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kay, Thomas Benjamin (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American businessman and politician (Republican Party)
DATE OF BIRTH February 28, 1864
PLACE OF BIRTH Trenton , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH April 29, 1931
Place of death Salem , Oregon