J. Hamilton Lewis

For other people named James Lewis, see James Lewis (disambiguation).

James Hamilton Lewis
1st and 5th Senate Majority Whip
In office March 4, 1933 – April 9, 1939
Preceded by	Simeon D. Fess
Succeeded by	Sherman Minton
In office March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919
Preceded by	office created
Succeeded by	Charles Curtis
United States Senator from Illinois
In office March 26, 1913 – March 3, 1919
Preceded by	Shelby Moore Cullom
Succeeded by	Joseph M. McCormick
In office March 4, 1931 – April 9, 1939
Preceded by	Charles S. Deneen
Succeeded by	James M. Slattery
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's at-large district
In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by	William H. Doolittle
Succeeded by	Francis W. Cushman
Personal details
Born	(1863-05-18)May 18, 1863 Danville, Virginia
Died	Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Virginia
Profession	Lawyer

James Hamilton Lewis (May 18, 1863 – April 9, 1939) was the first Senator to hold the title of Whip in the United States Senate. Lewis was born in Danville, Virginia, and also grew up in Augusta, Georgia. He was educated at the University of Virginia and studied law in Savannah, Georgia before he served in the Spanish–American War.

Congressional career

Lewis was one of a very few politicians to represent two states in the United States Congress. Lewis represented Washington (1897–1899) in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat, and went on to serve Illinois (1913–1919, 1931–1939) in the United States Senate as a member of the Democratic Party. Lewis served as Majority Whip from 1913 until 1919. At some point in his congressional career, he became known to colleagues as "Ham".

A close ally of President Woodrow Wilson, Lewis was a leader in getting much of Wilson's "New Freedom" legislation passed. Upon his defeat for reelection in '18, Lewis was offered the ambassadorship to Belgium by the President, but he declined and returned private legal practice in Chicago, Illinois. He eventually became a partner in the newly named Lewis, Adler, Lederer & Kahn (now known as Arnstein & Lehr, LLP) where he remained until he began his campaign for return to the United States Senate.

James H. Lewis, 1921.

He would hold the Majority Whip position again from 1933 until his death in 1939. He was defeated for reelection to the Senate in 1918, but regained his seat in the election in 1930. He ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois in 1908 and 1920, and continued to serve as Minority Whip in the Senate during the Depression and the New Deal era. Lewis won his last Senate election in 1936, and died in office in 1939.

In 1932, Lewis went to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as the "favorite son" candidate of Illinois, at the behest of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak. Cermak's hope was to use Lewis to keep the Illinois delegates from supporting Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but Lewis later withdrew his name from consideration, and released his delegates, many of whom went to FDR and helped secure him the nomination.

Lewis was one of the first to befriend the new, and rather intimidated, Senator Harry S Truman. In 1935, during Truman's first few weeks in office, Lewis sat next to Truman and kindly said "Harry, don't start out with an inferiority complex. For the first six months you'll wonder how the hell you got here. After that you'll wonder how the hell rest of us got here."

Lewis was known to be something of an eccentric in manner and dress, wearing spats well into the 1930s, and sporting Van Dyke whiskers and a "wavy pink toupee", but he was courtly in manner, and a talented orator. He was an authority on the U.S. Constitution and on foreign affairs, and a skillful legislative tactician. He died in office, and his funeral service was held in the Senate Chamber.

Lewis was buried in Abbey Mausoleum near Arlington National Cemetery. But it was demolished in 2001, and his remains were moved to an unknown location.

References

• James Hamilton Lewis at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• Works by J. Hamilton Lewis at Project Gutenberg
• portrait of James Hamilton Lewis

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by William H. Doolittle	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 2nd congressional district 1897–1899	Succeeded by Francis W. Cushman
United States Senate
Preceded by Shelby M. Cullom	U.S. Senator from Illinois 1913–1919	Succeeded by Medill McCormick
Preceded by Charles S. Deneen	U.S. Senator from Illinois 1931–1939	Succeeded by James M. Slattery
Party political offices
Preceded by (none)	United States Senate Majority Whip 1913–1919	Succeeded by Charles Curtis
Preceded by Simeon D. Fess	United States Senate Majority Whip 1933–1939	Succeeded by Lister Hill