George Wycliffe McBride (March 13, 1854June 18, 1911) was an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. An Oregon native, he served in the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

as Speaker of the House and as

Oregon Secretary of State The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the governor. The duties of the office are auditor of public accounts, ch ...

for two terms before election as

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from Oregon. A Republican, he was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. His father and two of his brothers were also politicians.

Early life

George McBride was born on March 13, 1854, near

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

, in

Yamhill County, Oregon Yamhill County is one of the Oregon counties, 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 107,722. The county seat is McMinnville, Oregon, McMinnville. Yamhill County was named af ...

. His father was James McBride, a physician from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, and his mother the former Mahala Miller.Corning, Howard M. (1956) ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, p. 159. George was one of fourteen children in the family that included brother John Rogers, who was a

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 Oregon, and

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

who served on the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

. After one year at Willamette he enrolled at Monmouth Christian College (now

Western Oregon University Western Oregon University (WOU) is a public university in Monmouth, Oregon. It was originally established in 1856 by Disciples of Christ pioneers as Monmouth University. Subsequent names included Oregon State Normal School, Oregon College of E ...

) in

Monmouth, Oregon Monmouth () is a city in Polk County, Oregon, Polk County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was named for Monmouth, Illinois, the origin of its earliest settlers. The population is 11,110 at the 2020 Census and it is part of the Salem Metropolitan S ...

, where he spent two years. McBride then studied law and 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 ...

, but never practiced. He moved to St. Helens where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for nine years.

Politics

McBride was elected to the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

in 1882 to serve Columbia County.Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide: 1882 Regular Session (12th).
Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on April 27, 2009. Elected as a Republican, he was selected by fellow legislators to serve as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. After his lone session in the legislative assembly, he was elected as the

in 1886 to a four-year term and re-elected in 1890 to a second term. He was in office from January 10, 1887, until January 14, 1895, when Harrison R. Kincaid took office. On February 23, 1895, the

selected McBride to serve 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 ...

. 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 ...

, he served one term in office from March 4, 1895, to March 3, 1901. In the Senate he was chairman of the

United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard The United States Senate Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard, was a Senate committee, initially authorized by Senate resolution as a select committee on December 16, 1872. The select committee, also known as the Windom Select Commi ...

during the

Fifty-fourth Congress The 54th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1895, ...

, though the committee may never have met during his tenure, and also a member of the Committee on Coast Defenses during both Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses. He was the first native Oregonian to serve in the Senate. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1900.

Later life

McBride was appointed as a United States commissioner to the St. Louis Exposition of 1904. After politics he was engaged as an agent of the

Western Pacific Railroad The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California. WP's Feather River Route dire ...

in California. On May 24, 1902, in New York City he married Laura W. Walter with whom he had one daughter. In 1911 McBride died in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, at the age of 57. His remains were cremated and the ashes interred in the Masonic Cemetery in St. Helens.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McBride, George W. 1854 births 1911 deaths People from Yamhill County, Oregon American people of Scottish descent Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Republican Party United States senators from Oregon Secretaries of State of Oregon Speakers of the Oregon House of Representatives People from St. Helens, Oregon 19th-century American politicians Western Oregon University alumni