Charles Augustus Kennedy (March 24, 1869 – January 10, 1951) was a seven-term Republican
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 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northeastern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and the Mississippi River. The district includes the cities o ...
in southeastern Iowa.
Biography
Born in
Montrose, Iowa
Montrose is a city in Lee County, Iowa, Lee County, Iowa. The population was 738 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town is located on the Mississippi River. It is part of the Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-IL-MO Micropolitan ...
, Kennedy completed preparatory studies. He was interested in
horticultural
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
pursuits and later engaged in business as a nurseryman. He served as mayor of Montrose from 1890 to 1895. He served as member of the
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...
for one two-year term between 1903 and 1905.
In 1906, Kennedy was elected as 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 ...
to the
Sixtieth Congress. At the time of his nomination, his political philosophy was described as "strongly standpat," a reference to the "stand-patters" faction of the Republican Party that provided a conservative alternative to the Party's progressive wing. He was re-elected six times, before choosing not to run for re-election in 1920.
He served as chairman of the
Committee on Mileage (in the Sixtieth and
Sixty-first Congresses), and the
Committee on Rivers and Harbors (in the
Sixty-sixth Congress).
In all, he served from March 4, 1907 to March 3, 1921.
He engaged in banking until his retirement. He died in Montrose on January 10, 1951. He was interred in Montrose Cemetery.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Charles Augustus
1869 births
1951 deaths
Mayors of places in Iowa
Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives
American horticulture businesspeople
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa