Henry Floyd Samuels (1869–1948) was an American attorney, politician, mining executive, and farmer. He was the leading spokesman of the Idaho chapter of the Non-Partisan League and later the Idaho Progressive Party in the 1910s and 1920s.

Early life and education

H. F. Samuels was born in Washington County, Mississippi on April 4, 1869. Named Henry Floyd, he always went by his initials to distinguish himself from his father, and later his son, who had the same name. His family moved to Crawford County, Indiana when he was three years old, and he attended high school at Leavenworth. He studied law at the University of Michigan, and was admitted to the bar in Indiana in February 1892. He later earned a master of law degree at Columbian University (now George Washington University).

Mining and political career

He became a multi-millionaire in the mining industry in

Idaho Panhandle The Idaho Panhandle—locally known as North Idaho—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Shosh ...

. Originally a Republican, with Non-Partisan League support, in 1918, Samuels won the

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

nomination for governor of Idaho despite strong opposition from the Democratic Party leadership. However, Samuels was defeated by Republican D. W. Davis. After Idaho repealed the

direct primary Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

in 1919, the Non-Partisan League formed the Idaho Progressive Party. Idaho Progressives nominated Samuels as their gubernatorial candidate in 1922 and 1924. Although Samuels beat the Democratic candidates in both elections, he was ultimately defeated in both by Republican Charles C. Moore. In 1926 Samuels won the Progressive United States Senate nomination, again bested the Democratic nominee ( John F. Nugent), but lost to the Republican (

Frank R. Gooding Frank Robert Gooding (September 16, 1859June 24, 1928) was a Republican United States Senator and the seventh governor of Idaho. The city of Gooding and Gooding County, both in southern Idaho, are named for him. Life and career Born in the co ...

). He retired from public life after the demise of the Idaho Progressive Party in 1928. He owned a hotel, the Samuels Hotel, built with profits from mining.

Personal life

Samuels married Iona Snyder on December 25, 1892, and they had one daughter. On February 27, 1905, he remarried to Ada Jenkins, and they had a son and a daughter. He died in Sequim, Washington on February 23, 1948.

References

The Idaho Nonpartisan League
1869 births 1948 deaths George Washington University Law School alumni Idaho Democrats Idaho lawyers Idaho Republicans Nonpartisan League politicians University of Michigan Law School alumni {{Idaho-politician-stub