Charles McCarthy (football coach)
Encyclopedia
Charles McCarthy was a political scientist, public administrator, Progressive
reformer, and briefly, an American football
coach. He is credited with founding the first legislative reference library in the United States. McCarthy was active in policy formation, with special interests in agricultural cooperatives and adult and vocational education. He authored The Wisconsin Idea, a summary of Progressive philosophy and thinking.
to a shoemaker and his wife, who kept a boarding house. He was the only one of their three children to survive childhood. After an education in the public schools in Brockton, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker. When this did not interest him, he ran away to become a cabin boy on a sailing schooner. While at sea, he read the books available in the ship's library, obtaining the equivalent of a high school education.
Eager to obtain more education, he tried to enter Brown University
, but was denied admission. After appealing directly to the president of the university, his entrance to the school was arranged. McCarthy lacked the funds to pay for school, so he financed his education by working as a scene shifter and painter in theaters in Providence
. He also played for the Brown football team, earning All-America
honors. He graduated from Brown in 1896, with a bachelor of philosophy degree.
When the Spanish–American War broke out, McCarthy tried to enlist, but was turned down for physical reasons. Despite this, he headed to Florida, and was aboard a troop transport, when he was discovered and put ashore. He became ill with malaria caught in camp, and by the time he recovered, the war was over. McCarthy then entered law school at the University of Georgia
. To pay for school, he took a job as the school's football coach. During his two seasons, 1897 and 1898, McCarthy's team compiled a record 6–3.
Interested in the economics of Richard T. Ely
, McCarthy enrolled at the University of Wisconsin
(now University of Wisconsin–Madison), where he studied history, politics, and economics. He received a Ph.D. in 1901. His thesis, which was on the Anti-Masonic Party
, was awarded the Justin Winsor Prize
by the American Historical Association
.
. In it, he decried the "corrupting influences of the concentrated wealth" and called for political and economic reforms that would facilitate "the betterment, the efficiency and the welfare of each individual." To accomplish this, McCarthy advocated the development of a science of public administration so that governments could be run with the same efficiency as businesses. He recommended that public officials be educated specifically for administrative duties. Other ideas described in the book include the direct accountability of politicians and government administrators to the electorate; the regulation of business, including railroads, utilities, stocks and bonds, insurance, and banking, for the public good; and the provision of service by public universities to the state via university extensions and adult education.
In his introduction to the book, Theodore Roosevelt
wrote:
's Bull Moose Party
, which McCarthy helped draft. Focused on removing corruption from politics and waste and inefficiency from government, the platform advocated the recall of judicial decisions, easier amendment of the Constitution
, and women's suffrage as means to accomplish this. It also called for improvements in social welfare, including social welfare legislation for women and children, workers' compensation, farm relief, mandatory health insurance in industry, and new inheritance and income taxes.
. In 1914-15, he was Director of Research and Investigation for the U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations
. During World War I
, when Herbert Hoover
became head of the U.S. Food Administration, McCarthy became his chief aide. In 1917, he was offered the post of advisor to China within the State Department
, but declined. He was sought after by corporations and other states, but always declined the offers in order to remain at the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library.
, where he had gone to seek relief from health problems. His remains lay in state at the state capitol
, the first time anyone had been honored with that distinction since the Civil War
. A bronze plaque of McCarthy was placed in the assembly chamber of the capitol.
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
reformer, and briefly, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He is credited with founding the first legislative reference library in the United States. McCarthy was active in policy formation, with special interests in agricultural cooperatives and adult and vocational education. He authored The Wisconsin Idea, a summary of Progressive philosophy and thinking.
Early years
McCarthy was born in Brockton, MassachusettsBrockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
to a shoemaker and his wife, who kept a boarding house. He was the only one of their three children to survive childhood. After an education in the public schools in Brockton, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker. When this did not interest him, he ran away to become a cabin boy on a sailing schooner. While at sea, he read the books available in the ship's library, obtaining the equivalent of a high school education.
Eager to obtain more education, he tried to enter Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, but was denied admission. After appealing directly to the president of the university, his entrance to the school was arranged. McCarthy lacked the funds to pay for school, so he financed his education by working as a scene shifter and painter in theaters in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He also played for the Brown football team, earning All-America
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
honors. He graduated from Brown in 1896, with a bachelor of philosophy degree.
When the Spanish–American War broke out, McCarthy tried to enlist, but was turned down for physical reasons. Despite this, he headed to Florida, and was aboard a troop transport, when he was discovered and put ashore. He became ill with malaria caught in camp, and by the time he recovered, the war was over. McCarthy then entered law school at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. To pay for school, he took a job as the school's football coach. During his two seasons, 1897 and 1898, McCarthy's team compiled a record 6–3.
Interested in the economics of Richard T. Ely
Richard T. Ely
Richard Theodore Ely was an American economist, author, and leader of the Progressive movement who called for more government intervention in order to reform what they perceived as the injustices of capitalism, especially regarding factory conditions, compulsory education, child labor, and labor...
, McCarthy enrolled at the University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
(now University of Wisconsin–Madison), where he studied history, politics, and economics. He received a Ph.D. in 1901. His thesis, which was on the Anti-Masonic Party
Anti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the first "third party" in the United States. It strongly opposed Freemasonry and was founded as a single-issue party aspiring to become a major party....
, was awarded the Justin Winsor Prize
Justin Winsor Prize (history)
The Justin Winsor Prize was awarded by the American Historical Association to encourage new authors to pursue the study of history in the Western Hemisphere at a time when the study of European history predominated...
by the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
.
Legislative Reference Library
In 1901, McCarthy was appointed the chief document clerk for the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. Although the position was designed to provide legislators with reference materials, McCarthy ultimately expanded its scope to include researching legislation from around the world and drafting legislation. He was interested in improving lawmaking from what he saw as a chaotic process largely controlled by lobbyists to a systematic one that produced well-crafted legislation that could both survive court challenge and serve as a model for other states and the federal government. He formulated the concept of a legislative reference library— a place where legislators could take their ideas, learn about the experiences of other states and countries, cast their ideas in concrete terms, and then have the help of trained draftsmen to put their ideas into legal form. Initially spurned by the legislature, McCarthy was eventually given space for his project in the attic of the capitol. He ultimately built it into the first legislative reference library in the country, and was responsible for overhauling the way legislation was created in the state.The Wisconsin Idea
In 1912, McCarthy published The Wisconsin Idea, a summary of the goals and ideals of the Progressive movementProgressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
. In it, he decried the "corrupting influences of the concentrated wealth" and called for political and economic reforms that would facilitate "the betterment, the efficiency and the welfare of each individual." To accomplish this, McCarthy advocated the development of a science of public administration so that governments could be run with the same efficiency as businesses. He recommended that public officials be educated specifically for administrative duties. Other ideas described in the book include the direct accountability of politicians and government administrators to the electorate; the regulation of business, including railroads, utilities, stocks and bonds, insurance, and banking, for the public good; and the provision of service by public universities to the state via university extensions and adult education.
In his introduction to the book, Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
wrote:
As Professor Simon N. Patten says: "Without means of attainment and measures of result an ideal becomes meaningless. The real idealist is a pragmatist and an economist. He demands measurable results and reaches them by means made available by economic efficiency. Only in this way is social progress possible." Mr. McCarthy's purpose is to impress not only every real reformer, but every capable politician, with the fact that the people are more concerned about "good works" than about "faith."
Progressivism
One of McCarthy's ideals was that the law should embody the public will. To accomplish this required not only the systematic formulation of legislation, but governmental reforms. Many of the reforms he advocated were embodied in the platform of Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
's Bull Moose Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
, which McCarthy helped draft. Focused on removing corruption from politics and waste and inefficiency from government, the platform advocated the recall of judicial decisions, easier amendment of the Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, and women's suffrage as means to accomplish this. It also called for improvements in social welfare, including social welfare legislation for women and children, workers' compensation, farm relief, mandatory health insurance in industry, and new inheritance and income taxes.
Other positions
In addition to his work with the Wisconsin legislature, McCarthy was an advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. In 1914-15, he was Director of Research and Investigation for the U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations
Commission on Industrial Relations
The Commission on Industrial Relations was a commission created by the U.S. Congress on August 23, 1912. The commission studied work conditions throughout the industrial United States between 1913 and 1915...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
became head of the U.S. Food Administration, McCarthy became his chief aide. In 1917, he was offered the post of advisor to China within the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, but declined. He was sought after by corporations and other states, but always declined the offers in order to remain at the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library.
Legacy
McCarthy died March 26, 1921 in Prescott, ArizonaPrescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, where he had gone to seek relief from health problems. His remains lay in state at the state capitol
Wisconsin State Capitol
The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed during 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature...
, the first time anyone had been honored with that distinction since the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A bronze plaque of McCarthy was placed in the assembly chamber of the capitol.
Works
- The Antimasonic Party: A Study of Political Antimasonry in the United States, 1827-1840. 1901.
- The Wisconsin Idea. New York: Macmillan, 1912.
Head coaching record
Further reading
- Casey, Marion. Charles McCarthy: Librarianship and Reform. Chicago: American Library Association, 1981.
- Fitzpatrick, Edward A. McCarthy of Wisconsin. New York: Columbia University Press, 1944.
- Woerdehoff, Frank J. Dr. Charles McCarthy: Planner of the Wisconsin System of Vocational and Adult Education", Wisconsin Magazine of History, vol. 44, no. 4 (Summer 1958), pp. 270–274.
- Woerdehoff, Frank J. "Dr. Charles McCarthy's Role in Revitalizing the University Extension Division", Wisconsin Magazine of History, vol. 40, no. 1 (Autumn 1956), pp. 13–18.
External links
- Charles McCarthy, 1873-1921, The Survey, 1921, at the Wisconsin Historical Society
- Death certificate of Charles McCarthy, Arizona Department of Health Services
- Reed, Thomas Walter. History of the University of Georgia, University of Georgia