L. W. Housel
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo W. Housel (December 30, 1873 - September 4, 1935) was a Connecticut
state legislator who later ran for Congress and statewide office in Iowa
. Running as a Democrat in an era in which Republicans dominated Iowa politics, Housel was unsuccessful in each of his Iowa races.
, to a veteran of the Civil War
and his wife. He was raised in Windham, Bradford, Pennsylvania and later Nichols, New York
. After attending rural schools in New York and working on farms and in lumber camps, he was admitted to Yale University
. While at Yale, he worked his way through college as a newspaper reporter for the New Haven Journal-Courier, where one of his colleagues was noted writer Sinclair Lewis
. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Yale
in 1897, he then attended Yale Law School
, receiving his law degree in 1900.
, where he represented a district in New Haven. He was the youngest member of the House. In his first term as representative, he drafted and presented the bill to limit the length of the working day to eight hours. Although Democratic House members were outnumbered four to one by Republicans, his bill received good support, but did not pass.
, and to enter into private practice with his new father-in-law.
Housel and his wife became the parents of Delphine Housel Christensen and William Parley Housel.
and governorship, and the Iowa congressional delegation
. Humboldt County
and the congressional district in which it was then located (Iowa's 10th congressional district
) were overwhelmingly Republican. Nevertheless, Housel and his family remained in Humboldt and he repeatedly ran for elective office as a Democrat. Three times he ran for election to the Iowa House of Representatives
(in 1910, 1912, and 1920), but was defeated each time in the general election. In 1914, he ran in the Democratic primary for Congress for the Tenth District, but was defeated by D.M. Kelleher of more populous Fort Dodge
, who was in turn defeated in the general election by Republican Frank P. Woods
.
In 1924 he received the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
, but was defeated by Republican Clem Kimball in the general election.
In 1928, he ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Iowa. In the general election he ran against Republican Governor John Hammill
, who was then seeking his third term. With Iowa native Herbert Hoover
at the top of the Republican ticket and the Great Depression a year away, Republicans swept all major races, including the Hammill-Housel race.
For health reasons, Housel did not enter any races in 1930, but in 1932 ran again for the Democratic nomination for Governor. He ran on a conservative platform, urging that the state cut spending and programs by up to 25 percent in order to allow a general cut in all taxes as a form of relief from the Depression. That year would become the best year yet for Democratic candidates in Iowa, but Housel’s candidacy did not survive the primary. He was defeated in the June primary by future Governor and U.S. Senator Clyde L. Herring
.
in winter and Humboldt for the rest of the year.
He died in Rochester, Minnesota
in September 1935 following a lingering illness.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
state legislator who later ran for Congress and statewide office in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Running as a Democrat in an era in which Republicans dominated Iowa politics, Housel was unsuccessful in each of his Iowa races.
Personal background
L.W. Housel was born in VanEttenville, New YorkVan Etten (village), New York
Van Etten is a village in Chemung County, New York, USA. The population was 581 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the two brothers who founded the village....
, to a veteran of 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...
and his wife. He was raised in Windham, Bradford, Pennsylvania and later Nichols, New York
Nichols, New York
Nichols, New York may refer to one of the following locations in New York State:*Nichols , New York*Nichols , New York...
. After attending rural schools in New York and working on farms and in lumber camps, he was admitted to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. While at Yale, he worked his way through college as a newspaper reporter for the New Haven Journal-Courier, where one of his colleagues was noted writer Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
Harry Sinclair Lewis was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of...
. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
in 1897, he then attended Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, receiving his law degree in 1900.
Connecticut General Assembly
In November of the same year in which Housel graduated from law school, he was elected as a Democrat to the Connecticut House of RepresentativesConnecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
, where he represented a district in New Haven. He was the youngest member of the House. In his first term as representative, he drafted and presented the bill to limit the length of the working day to eight hours. Although Democratic House members were outnumbered four to one by Republicans, his bill received good support, but did not pass.
Relocation to Iowa
Instead of running for a second term in the Connecticut House, he moved to Iowa. In June 1902 he married Mina Finch, daughter of Iowa lawyer and State Senator Parley Finch, prompting him to move from Connecticut to Humboldt, IowaHumboldt, Iowa
Humboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2010 census, gaining 238 people since the 2000 census.- History :...
, and to enter into private practice with his new father-in-law.
Housel and his wife became the parents of Delphine Housel Christensen and William Parley Housel.
Iowa elections
For Housel’s first thirty years in Iowa (from 1902 to 1932), Republicans dominated the General AssemblyIowa General Assembly
The Iowa General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government of Iowa. Like the federal United States Congress, the General Assembly is a bicameral body, composed of the upper house Iowa Senate and the lower Iowa House of Representatives respectively...
and governorship, and the Iowa congressional delegation
United States Congressional Delegations from Iowa
These are tables of congressional delegations from Iowa to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:...
. Humboldt County
Humboldt County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,815 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,684 housing units, of which 4,209 were occupied.-2000 census:...
and the congressional district in which it was then located (Iowa's 10th congressional district
Iowa's 10th congressional district
Iowa's 10th congressional district existed from 1883 to 1933, when Iowa sent eleven congressmen to the United States House of Representatives. The district, known as "The Big Tenth," covered large areas of north-central Iowa.-Makeup:...
) were overwhelmingly Republican. Nevertheless, Housel and his family remained in Humboldt and he repeatedly ran for elective office as a Democrat. Three times he ran for election to the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
(in 1910, 1912, and 1920), but was defeated each time in the general election. In 1914, he ran in the Democratic primary for Congress for the Tenth District, but was defeated by D.M. Kelleher of more populous Fort Dodge
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
, who was in turn defeated in the general election by Republican Frank P. Woods
Frank P. Woods
Frank Plowman Woods was a five-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 10th congressional district, in north-central Iowa. He reached a House leadership position after only two terms...
.
In 1924 he received the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the U.S. state of Iowa, 1858 to present. In Iowa, the Lieutenant Governor and the governor run together on the same ticket. Before the 1998 Election, the law was changed from the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor running separately....
, but was defeated by Republican Clem Kimball in the general election.
In 1928, he ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Iowa. In the general election he ran against Republican Governor John Hammill
John Hammill
John Hammill served three terms as the 24th Governor of Iowa from 1925 to 1931.-Biography:Hammill was born in Linden, Wisconsin. He earned a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1897, and practiced law in Britt, Iowa. After serving as a county attorney from 1902 to 1908, he was...
, who was then seeking his third term. With Iowa native 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...
at the top of the Republican ticket and the Great Depression a year away, Republicans swept all major races, including the Hammill-Housel race.
For health reasons, Housel did not enter any races in 1930, but in 1932 ran again for the Democratic nomination for Governor. He ran on a conservative platform, urging that the state cut spending and programs by up to 25 percent in order to allow a general cut in all taxes as a form of relief from the Depression. That year would become the best year yet for Democratic candidates in Iowa, but Housel’s candidacy did not survive the primary. He was defeated in the June primary by future Governor and U.S. Senator Clyde L. Herring
Clyde L. Herring
Clyde LaVerne Herring , an American politician and Democrat, served as the 26th Governor of Iowa, and then one of its U.S. Senators, during the last part of the Great Depression and the first part of World War II....
.
Retirement
In 1931, Housel and his wife were travelling in Managua, Nicaragua when a major earthquake destroyed their hotel. Because they were on the road at the time, they survived. When not travelling the world, they resided in Brownsville, TexasBrownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
in winter and Humboldt for the rest of the year.
He died in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
in September 1935 following a lingering illness.