Donald Alphonse Callahan (September 8, 1876 – October 26, 1951) was a mining industry leader and

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 ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

from

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Early life, education, and career

Born and raised in

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,308 at the 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The ci ...

, Callahan had little access to education in his youth; he entered high school at the age of twenty and graduated sixteen months later. He then

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in a law office in that city for three years to gain

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 Illinois. He worked as a deputy to a federal court clerk in

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Linc ...

,"Mine Industry Leader Donald Callahan Dies", ''Spokane Chronicle'' (October 26, 1951), p. 9. where he was also the local supervisor of the 1910 United States Census, and then entered the practice of law in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In 1918, he moved to

Wallace, Idaho Wallace, Idaho is a city in and the county seat of Shoshone County, Idaho, in the Silver Valley mining district of the Idaho Panhandle. Founded in 1884, Wallace sits alongside the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River (and Interstate 90), appro ...

Political activities and mining industry leadership

Callahan served in both chambers of the

Idaho Legislature The Idaho Legislature consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. Idaho is divided into 35 legislative districts, which each elect one senator and two representatives. There are no term limits for either cha ...

. He was a member of the

Idaho House of Representatives The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate se ...

from 1921 to 1922 and a member of the

Idaho Senate The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. Composition of t ...

from 1923 to 1934. During his senate service, he chaired the senate finance committee for two terms. He was the 1938 Republican nominee for 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 ...

seat in Idaho. He was narrowly defeated by Democratic Congressman D. Worth Clark. Callahan was "a prominent figure in the nation's mining industry", having been president of Callahan Consolidated Mining, and of the Eastern Lead company, and having "frequently acted as spokesman for district mine operators before congressional committees". In 1936, he was chairman of the Northwest Mining association."Miners' Session Attracts Many", ''Spokane Chronicle'' (December 4, 1936), p. 3.

Personal life and death

A Roman Catholic, he died in a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 76, having had a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

while attending an

American Mining Congress American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

convention in that city. He was survived by his wife and one daughter.

References

Sources

Political Graveyard article on Callahan
1876 births People from Shoshone County, Idaho Idaho lawyers Republican Party members of the Idaho House of Representatives Republican Party Idaho state senators Place of birth missing People from Galena, Illinois 1951 deaths {{Idaho-politician-stub