Julius Kahn
Encyclopedia
Julius Kahn was a United States Congress
man who was succeeded by his wife Florence Prag Kahn
after his death. Kahn was born in Kuppenheim
, in the Grand Duchy of Baden
, in what would become Germany
.
He immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in California
in 1866. After studying law in San Francisco
, he was elected a member of the State Assembly
in 1892 and admitted to the bar in January 1894.
He was elected as a Republican
to the 56th and 57th Congresses (March 4, 1899 - March 3, 1903). Although he unsuccessfully contested the election of Edward J. Livernash
to the 58th Congress, he was elected to the 59th and to the nine succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1905 until his death in 1924.
During his time in the House of Representatives
he was noted as an advocate of military preparedness. He helped draft and secure the passage of the National Defense Act of 1915, the Selective Draft Act of 1917, and the National Defense Act of 1920
. He served as chairman of Committee on Military Affairs (66th-68th Congresses).
At the time of his death, he had been re-elected to the 69th Congress. His wife, Florence Prag Kahn
, succeeded him in Congress and served until 1937. He was buried in the Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma, California
. A well-known playground in San Francisco was named in his honor.
has a large collection of family papers, documents, correspondence, and photographs relating to Julius Kahn and to his wife, Florence Prag Kahn.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
man who was succeeded by his wife Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn was an American teacher and politician who in 1925 became the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. She was only the fifth woman to serve in Congress, and the second from California, after fellow San Franciscoan Mae Nolan...
after his death. Kahn was born in Kuppenheim
Kuppenheim
Kuppenheim is a town in the district of Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the river Murg, 5 km southeast of Rastatt, and 8 km north of Baden-Baden....
, in the Grand Duchy of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
, in what would become Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
He immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1866. After studying law in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, he was elected a member of the State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1892 and admitted to the bar in January 1894.
He was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the 56th and 57th Congresses (March 4, 1899 - March 3, 1903). Although he unsuccessfully contested the election of Edward J. Livernash
Edward J. Livernash
Edward James Livernash was a U.S. Representative from California, subsequently Edward James de Nivernais.Born in Lower Calveritas, a California mining camp, near San Andreas, Livernash attended the common schools of California.He became a printer at the age of fifteen, and a year later founded a...
to the 58th Congress, he was elected to the 59th and to the nine succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1905 until his death in 1924.
During his time in the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
he was noted as an advocate of military preparedness. He helped draft and secure the passage of the National Defense Act of 1915, the Selective Draft Act of 1917, and the National Defense Act of 1920
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
. He served as chairman of Committee on Military Affairs (66th-68th Congresses).
At the time of his death, he had been re-elected to the 69th Congress. His wife, Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn was an American teacher and politician who in 1925 became the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. She was only the fifth woman to serve in Congress, and the second from California, after fellow San Franciscoan Mae Nolan...
, succeeded him in Congress and served until 1937. He was buried in the Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma, California
Colma, California
Colma is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924....
. A well-known playground in San Francisco was named in his honor.
Source materials
The Western Jewish History Center, of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
has a large collection of family papers, documents, correspondence, and photographs relating to Julius Kahn and to his wife, Florence Prag Kahn.