George P. McLean
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George Payne McLean (October 7, 1857 – June 6, 1932) was the 59th Governor of Connecticut, and a
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
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.


Biography

McLean was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, one of five children of Dudley B. McLean and Mary (Payne) McLean. His sister Sarah Pratt McLean Greene became a novelist. McLean attended the common schools in Simsbury. At the age of fifteen he entered Hartford High School, traveling to school each day on the train. He graduated in 1876. Upon graduation he took a job as a reporter for the Hartford Evening Post. Leaving the paper in 1879, he entered the Hartford law office of Henry C. Robinson and trained as a lawyer in that office. He remained there eight years, combining his apprenticeship with Robinson with a part-time job in financial management at Trinity College in Hartford. During this time he passed the law exam and was admitted to the bar. A confirmed bachelor until he was forty-nine, he married his longtime Simsbury sweetheart Juliette Goodrich on April 10, 1907. She was forty-two. They had no children. He died on June 6, 1932 and she on October 21, 1950. They are buried in Simsbury Cemetery.


Career

McLean was a member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...
in 1883 and 1884, He served as clerk of the State Board of Pardons from 1884 to 1901; and a member of the commission to revise the Connecticut
statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...
s, 1885. He was a member of the
state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
in 1886. He was a member of the Connecticut State Senate from 1889 to 1891. In 1890, he was elected Connecticut's Secretary of State, but never took office because of the deadlocked Legislature of 1891-1893. As a result, McLean was able to accept President Benjamin Harrison's appointment in 1892 to be
United States attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
for his home state from 1892 to 1896. He resumed the practice of law in Hartford Elected the 59th
Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...
in 1901 and 1902, McLean served beginning on January 9, 1901. During his tenure, the governor's administrative staff was restructured, as well the state militia; and a tax commission office was founded. McLean did not seek reelection due to ill health, and left the governor's office on January 7, 1903. McLean 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 U.S. Senate in 1910 and served from 1911 to 1929. He was reelected in 1916 and 1922. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Forest Reservations and Game Protection (Sixty-second and Sixty-fifth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Banking and Currency (Sixty-sixth through Sixty-ninth Congresses) and the Committee on Manufactures (Seventieth Congress). He declined to run for reelection in 1928.


Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Probably McLean's most lasting legislative achievement was the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA), codified at (although §709 is omitted), is a United States federal law, first enacted in 1918 to implement the convention for the protection of migratory birds between the United States and Canada . ...
. Concern had been growing nationally about the mass killing of birds for hat-making uses and for food; with support from gun manufacturers and hunting organizations, McLean and Rep.
John W. Weeks John Wingate Weeks (April 11, 1860July 12, 1926) was an American banker and politician from Massachusetts. A Republican, he served as Mayor of Newton from 1902 to 1903, a United States representative from 1905 to 1913, United States Senator fr ...
of Massachusetts successfully attached the Weeks-McLean Act to an appropriations bill in March 1913. Some of the provisions in the act proved controversial in their expansion of federal powers and were declared unconstitutional by various courts. With the advice of
Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and statesman who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in the early twentieth century. He also served as United States Senator from N ...
, McLean immediately introduced new legislation giving the president the power to negotiate a treaty to regulate the hunting of migratory birds; this bill was passed in July 1913. The Migratory Bird Treaty with Great Britain (acting for Canada) was signed in 1916, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to ratify and implement the treaty was passed in 1918. The resulting federal limitations on hunting were upheld by the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
in 1920 in the
Missouri v. Holland ''Missouri v. Holland'', 252 U.S. 416 (1920) is a United States Supreme Court decision on the extent to which international legal obligations are incorporated into federal law.. The case centered on the constitutionality of the Migratory Bird Tre ...
decision.


Death and legacy

McLean resumed the practice of law in Hartford, and died of heart disease in Simsbury, on June 6, 1932 (age 74 years, 243 days). He is interred at Simsbury Cemetery. His will established the non-profit McLean Fund, which has since operated two enterprises in his home town of
Simsbury Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...
- a senior living community and elder-care services provider and a private game refuge. The McLean Game Refuge consists of over of land in
Simsbury Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...
and Granby and is open to the public; part of it has been designated a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
. The McLean senior living organization consists of an independent living community and a multi-faceted elder-care service provider that offers services ranging from visiting nurses and adult day care to assisted living, long-term care, hospice, post surgical acute, inpatient physical rehabilitation and outpatient physical rehabilitation.


References


External links


The Political GraveyardGovtrack US CongressConnecticut State Library
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, George P. 1857 births 1932 deaths Connecticut lawyers Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Republican Party Connecticut state senators Republican Party governors of Connecticut Republican Party United States senators from Connecticut United States Attorneys for the District of Connecticut