Carleton James King (June 15, 1904 – November 19, 1977) was an attorney and politician from

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he was most notable for his service as

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

Saratoga County, New York Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 populat ...

from 1950 to 1960, and a member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1961 to 1974. A native of Saratoga Springs, King graduated from

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...

in 1926, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

, and practiced in Saratoga Springs. He became active in politics and government as a Republican, and served as acting city court judge of Saratoga Springs from 1936 to 1941. In 1936, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress. In 1942, King was appointed Deputy District Attorney of Saratoga County, and he served until 1950. In 1950, King won election as district attorney, and he served until resigning at the end of 1960 to assume his seat in the Congress. In 1960, King won election to the U.S. House. He was reelected six times and served from January 1961 until resigning in December 1974. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1974, and resigned a few days before the end of his final term. In retirement, King resided in Florida. He died in

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698. History Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...

on June 15, 1904. His remains were cremated and scattered in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

Early life

King was born in

on June 15, 1904, the son of James Henry King and Anna Louise (Rose) King. He graduated from

in 1926. He was a member of the

Phi Sigma Kappa Phi Sigma Kappa (), colloquially known as Phi Sig or PSK, is a men's social and academic fraternity with approximately 74 active chapters and provisional chapters in North America. Most of its first two dozen chapters were granted to schools in ...

fraternity, and at graduation received the Corporation Prize, which was awarded to the student with the highest class standing in corporation law.

Career

After attaining

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1926, King practiced law in Saratoga Springs. In 1936, he was a candidate for Congress, but lost the Republican nomination to

E. Harold Cluett Ernest Harold Cluett (July 13, 1874 – February 4, 1954) was an American businessman and politician from Troy, New York. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as a United States representative from 1937 to 1943. Cluett was a native ...

. From 1936 to 1941, he was acting judge of the Saratoga Springs municipal court. King was an assistant district attorney of

from 1942 until 1950. In 1950, he was elected district attorney, and he served until resigning at the end of 1960 so he could begin the Congressional term to which he had been elected earlier that year. In 1955, King served as president of the New York State District Attorneys Association. In November 1957, leaders of organized crime in New York held a planning conference now known as the Apalachin meeting, which was interrupted by police. In response, Governor

Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986), better known as Averell Harriman, was an American Democratic politician, businessman, and diplomat. The son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman, he served as Secretary of Commerce un ...

appointed five District Attorneys, including King, to advise him on new legislation. In February 1958, the district attorneys recommended creation of a special rackets bureau within the

New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members. History The State ...

U.S. Congressman

He was elected to Congress in 1960, and was reelected six times. He served from January 3, 1961, until his resignation on December 31, 1974. He unsuccessfully ran for re-election in 1974, and lost to Democratic nominee Edward W. Pattison, a victory attributed to the wave election that favored Democrats as voters responded to Republican involvement in the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

. King was recognized as a member of the Republican Party's conservative wing. In 1962, he proposed an across‐the‐board income tax of at least 25 percent. In addition, King argued that individual and corporate tax rates should not be higher than 47 percent. During his Congressional service, King served on the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

board of visitors.

Later life

In 1975, King was appointed to the board of visitors of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

. In retirement, he resided in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. He died in

on November 19, 1977. King was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico near Bradenton.

Family

In 1933, King married Constance M. Roddy of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. They were the parents of two children, son Carleton J. King Jr. and daughter Constance King, the wife of James A. Murphy Jr.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Carleton J. 1904 births 1977 deaths Politicians from Saratoga Springs, New York Union College (New York) alumni Albany Law School alumni County district attorneys in New York (state) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians