Thomas David Schall

Thomas David Schall

Thomas David Schall (born June 4, 1878 in Reed City , Osceola County , Michigan , †  December 22, 1935 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician who represented the state of Minnesota in both chambers of Congress .

Life

Early life

Thomas Schall lost his father at the age of two in 1880 and was raised in Traverse County, Minnesota by his mother, who made a living as a cook . Schall had to get to know the dark side of life at an early age when, as a child, he had to sell newspapers on the street until late at night to top up the family budget. He also often had to spend the night on the street. Because of his well-developed singing voice, Schall also went on tour with a circus as an artist.

Career

Wanting the best for her son, his mother arranged for an adoption with a farmer from Wheaton, Minnesota. He did not enter Ortonville High School until the age of twelve in 1890, and he distinguished himself as an excellent student who could claim a scholarship to Hamlin University . Already in high school, but also of the University of Minnesota , where he continued his studies of the 1900 law took up, shined sound through his public speaking skills. He received his bachelor's degree in 1902 and his doctorate in law in 1904 from St. Paul College of Law . In 1905 he was admitted to the bar.

Around this time, Schall also met his future wife Margaret, whom he married in 1905. The marriage resulted in three children, sons Thomas (1911) and Richard (1913) and daughter Padget Ann (1920). In 1907, Schall suffered a severe blow. As a lawyer for corporate law , he was with a case in Fargo ( North Dakota familiar). During a break in negotiations, Schall wanted to treat himself to a cigarette, so he used an electric lighter. Suddenly the lighter gave off a jet of flame, which Schall initially only burned the arm. But things were to get worse when Schall started having problems with his eyes during the day. What several doctors diagnosed happened over the course of a year - Thomas Schall went blind . With the help of friends and family, Schall made a comeback when he reopened his law firm in the Security Building in Minneapolis . His wife Margaret also studied law to assist her husband as a secretary.

Political career

Like his father, Schall was a member of the Republican Party and a proponent of Theodore Roosevelt's policies . In 1914, he successfully ran for Minnesota for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and took office on March 4, 1915 as the first blind Congressman in history. Schall was re-elected four times in a row and was in office until March 3, 1925. He was considered a politician close to the people who found his voters among the low-income residents of his constituency. Schall was also considered a fighter for the physically disabled in Congress, who promised in June 1924 at the meeting of the Minnesota State Organization of the Blind (MSOP) to stand up in Congress for pension claims for the blind. Schall was also seen as a champion of the Randolph-Sheppard Act , which gave blind people advantages over sighted people when it came to obtaining concessions for kiosks and fast food outlets. However, that law did not come into force until after Schall's death, in 1936.

In 1924, Schall ran for the office of US Senator and enjoyed broad approval with 46% of the vote when he was introduced to office on March 4, 1925. Among its supporters was the publisher and former New York Congressman William Randolph Hearst . One of Schall's most socio-politically significant successes as a senator was the 1926 ordinance that the visually impaired can transport guide dogs for the blind on public transport, something that had always been rejected until then. Until his death in 1933, this also affected Schall's own guide dog Lux.

death

On December 19, 1935, Thomas David Schall went shopping in the federal capital and was just crossing the street with an employee of his office, who was now helping him for the blind. Suddenly both men were hit by an approaching car and thrown onto the street. Schall fought in vain for three days and died on December 22, 1935 from his injuries. He was buried in Lakewood Cemetery , Minneapolis.

Web links

• Thomas David Schall in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Thomas D. Schall in the database of Find a Grave (English)