Charles Lee Watkins (1879-1966) was the first

Parliamentarian of the United States Senate The Parliamentarian of the United States Senate is the official advisor to the United States Senate on the interpretation of Standing Rules of the United States Senate and parliamentary procedure. Incumbent parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ...

Early life and education

Watkins was born on August 10, 1879, in

Mount Ida, Arkansas Mount Ida is a city in and county seat of Montgomery County, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1842, the city saw a silver boom in the 1880s bring early prosperity and economic development to the area. Today, the economy is largely ranching, p ...

. He attended the

University of Arkansas School of Law The University of Arkansas School of Law is the law school of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a state university. It has around 445 students enrolled in its Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Law (LL.M) programs and is home to ...

Career

Watkins started his career as a clerk in the offices of the

Arkansas Attorney General The Attorney General of Arkansas, usually known simply as the Attorney General (AG), is one of Arkansas's seven constitutional officers. The officeholder serves as the state's top law enforcement officer and consumer advocate. Since January 13 ...

and of the Governor of the State of Arkansas from 1899–1901. From 1902 through 1903, Watkins was the clerk of the commission created by the

Arkansas General Assembly The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...

for the creation of the infrastructure and exhibits for the Arkansas portion of the centennial exposition of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

display at the

1904 World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

, held in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

. In 1904, Watkins began working in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

as a stenographer. In 1919, after already transferring to and working on the Senate floor as a journal clerk, he began researching the ''

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...

'' for previous Senate rules decisions. In 1923, his career as the Senate Parliamentarian began in an unofficial manner. After periods of confusion and controversy, in 1935, the Senate created the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate and Watkins served as its first. In 1964, after showing declining memory, and 60 years of service to the Senate, 85-year-old Watkins was replaced as Parliamentarian of the United States Senate.

Personal life

Watkins married Martha Heard Walker in 1903 and they had one son. After Walker died, Watkins married Barbara Laura Sandmeier in 1944. Watkins died on August 30, 1966, in a

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, nursing home at the age of 87.

References

None {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Charles L. Parliamentarians of the United States Senate 1879 births 1966 deaths Stenographers People from Mount Ida, Arkansas University of Arkansas School of Law alumni