Francis Sylvester Monnett (March 19, 1857 – April 21, 1953) was

Ohio Attorney General The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost. History The office ...

from 1896–1900 as a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. Under the administration of Monnette, the

's office pursued and won the first major victories that finally led to the permanent break-up of

Standard Oil Trust Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

established by

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...

. While previous courts had ordered the Trust to divide its interests, the company failed to do so until it was sued in the Ohio courts. While Monnett's term ended before the matter could be settled, the work done during his administration set the course for the final resolution. Rockefeller funds were lavishly donated to Monnette's opponents, which led to his loss in the November 1900 election. Monnett also worked with Ohio Senator H. E. Valentine in the investigation of trust problems undertaken by a committee of the Ohio state senate in 1898. As a result of this probe, Ohio enacted the Valentine Act. Under the terms of the Valentine Act, legal trust practices were defined and illegal practices were outlawed. The act also specified criminal penalties for violations of the law. He died in 1953 in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monnette, Frank S. 1857 births 1953 deaths Ohio attorneys general Politicians from Columbus, Ohio People from Hardin County, Ohio People from Crawford County, Ohio Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Ohio lawyers Ohio Republicans Lawyers from Columbus, Ohio