Irvine Luther Lenroot (January 31, 1869 – January 26, 1949) was a

United States 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 ...

and

United States senator 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 po ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and an associate judge of the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.

Education and career

Born on January 31, 1869, in

Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lake ...

, Lenroot attended the common schools, then attended Parsons Business College in Duluth,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

and read law in 1897. He was a logger and reporter for the Douglas County, Wisconsin Superior Court from 1893 to 1906. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Superior in 1898. He was a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, e ...

from 1901 to 1907, serving as Speaker from 1903 to 1907.

Congressional service

Lenroot was elected as a Republican from the 11th congressional district to the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

of the 61st United States Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1909, until April 17, 1918, when he resigned, having been elected Senator. He was elected as a Republican to 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 po ...

on April 2, 1918, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

United States Senator 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 po ...

Paul O. Husting. He was reelected in 1920 and served from April 18, 1918, to March 3, 1927. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1926. He was Chairman of the Committee on Railroads in the 66th United States Congress, Committee on Public Lands and Surveys in the

68th United States Congress The 68th 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, 1923, ...

and the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds in the

69th United States Congress The 69th 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, 1925, ...

. He resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C. from 1927 to 1929.

1920 Republican Convention

Lenroot attended the 1920 Republican National Convention at the

Chicago Coliseum Chicago Coliseum was the name applied to three large indoor arenas in Chicago, Illinois, which stood successively from the 1860s to 1982; they served as venues for sports events, large (national-class) conventions and as exhibition halls. The ...

, and after the selection of Warren G. Harding of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

as the nominee for president, party leaders decided that the progressive Lenroot would be a balance to a ticket with the more conservative Harding. By Saturday night, June 12, many of the delegates had gone home, along with most of the party bosses. After Lenroot's name had been placed in nomination and seconded but before a vote could be taken, an

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 ...

delegate,

Wallace McCamant Wallace McCamant (September 22, 1867 – December 17, 1944) was an American jurist in Oregon. A Pennsylvania native, he served as the 46th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1917 to 1918. Later he served briefly as a United States circuit ju ...

, nominated Calvin Coolidge of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

for vice president. Unfettered by party bosses, the delegates weighed in for Coolidge, who received 674 votes to Lenroot's 146 and won on the first ballot.

Federal judicial service

Lenroot was nominated by President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gre ...

on April 22, 1929, to an Associate Judge seat on the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals vacated by Associate Judge

Orion M. Barber Orion Metcalf Barber (July 13, 1857 – March 28, 1930), frequently known as O. M. Barber, was a Vermont state politician and an associate judge of the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Education and career Born on July 13, 185 ...

. He was confirmed by the

on May 17, 1929, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on April 30, 1944, due to his retirement. He died on January 26, 1949, in Washington, D.C. He was interred in Greenwood Cemetery in Superior. The Associated Press report of his death began, "Former Senator Irvine L. Lenroot of Wisconsin, the man who might have been the 30th President of the United States, died Wednesday night."

Personal life

Lenroot married Clara Clough of Superior, who wrote a short memoir of her girlhood in Wisconsin in the 1860s and 1870s. His daughter,

Katherine Lenroot Katherine Fredrica Lenroot (March 8, 1891 – February 10, 1982), an American feminist and child welfare advocate, was the third Chief of the United States Children's Bureau. Biography Katharine F. Lenroot was born in Superior, Wisconsin on Ma ...

, was known for successfully lobbying for the Fair Labor Standards Act and the enforcing of child labor laws.''Current Biography 1940''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lenroot, Irvine 1869 births 1949 deaths Judges of the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Politicians from Superior, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Republican Party United States senators from Wisconsin Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly United States Article I federal judges appointed by Herbert Hoover 20th-century American judges Candidates in the 1920 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians