Albert Clinton Willford (September 21, 1877 – March 10, 1937) was a Democratic

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Iowa's 3rd congressional district Iowa's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its southwestern quadrant, which roughly consists of an area stretching from Des Moines to the borders with Nebraska and Missouri. From 2013 to ...

and supporter of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's "

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

." He was elected in 1932, defeated in 1934, and failed to regain his seat in 1936. Born in Vinton, Iowa, Willford attended the country and town schools, and Tilford's Academy, in Vinton. He was employed as chief engineer of the electric light, power, and water company at Vinton from 1900 to 1907. He moved to

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

, in 1907 and engaged in the manufacture of ice until 1910, when he engaged in the seed, feed, and

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

business. Before running for Congress he served as a trustee of the Waterloo Public Library (1918–1930), a member of the Black Hawk County Jury Commission (1922–1924), the president of the Iowa Stationary Engineers Association, the president of the Iowa Chapter of the Izaak Walton League (1927–1929), and the president of the Waterloo Baseball Club (1923–1927). Willford was the third Democrat elected in Iowa's 3rd congressional district since its creation in 1860. He was elected as part of Roosevelt's 1932 landslide, defeating a five-term incumbent congressman, Republican

Thomas J. B. Robinson Thomas John Bright Robinson (August 12, 1868 – January 27, 1958) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district. Elected in an era in which Republicans held every Iowa U.S. House seat, Robinson served five terms bef ...

. Willford served in Congress from March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935. Like the two earlier Democrats from his district, he was not re-elected to a second term. He was defeated by Republican John W. Gwynne in 1934, and then resumed his former pursuits in Waterloo. He lost an attempt in 1936 to regain his seat. Another Democrat would not win election in the 3rd district until 1986, when

David R. Nagle David Ray "Dave" Nagle (born April 15, 1943) is an American politician and lawyer from Iowa. He was a Legislator, Representative in the United States House of Representatives, representing Iowa's 3rd congressional district from 1987 to 1993. He i ...

won election to an open seat created by the retirement of

T. Cooper Evans Thomas Cooper Evans (May 26, 1924 – December 22, 2005) was a three-term Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district. First elected to Congress in a close race amidst a Republican ...

. Nagle would become the first Democrat from the district to serve more than one term. Willford died on March 10, 1937, shortly after his failed bid to regain his seat. He was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Willford, Albert Clinton 1877 births 1937 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa People from Vinton, Iowa Politicians from Waterloo, Iowa