James Luther Slayden (June 1, 1853 – February 24, 1924) was an American politician, cotton merchant, and rancher. He was elected from

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

House of Representatives, serving eleven consecutive terms.

Early life and education

James Luther Slayden was born in

Mayfield, Kentucky Mayfield is a home rule–class city and the county seat of Graves County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,017 as of the 2020 United States Census. History 19th century Mayfield is in the center of the Jackson Purchase, an eig ...

. His parents were Letitia E. (née Beadles) and Thomas A. Slayden. After his father died in 1869, he moved with his mother and siblings to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. There, he attended common schools and worked for two years. From 1872 and 1873, he attended

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

in Lexington,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. There, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (

St. Anthony Hall St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the Calendar of saints, feast day of Anthony the Great, Saint Anthony the Great. The frater ...

). He returned to New Orleans in 1873, where he worked until he moved to Texas in November 1876.

Career

Slayden moved to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, in 1879 and became a rancher

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

merchant. He became active in

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

and was elected to the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

in 1892. There, he served on the Finance Committee; Insurance, Statistics and History Committee; the Judicial Districts Committee; the Public Buildings and Grounds Committee; the State Affairs Committee; and the Town and City Corporations Committee. He worked to develop trade between Texas and other areas, and the construction railroads in Texas. After serving in the state legislature from January 10, to January 8, 1893, he declined renomination and returned to ranching. In 1896, Slayden was elected to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

representing Texas' 12th district as a Democrat. He was re-elected in 1898 and 1900, serving in total from 1897 to 1903. In 1903, he was redistricted to

Texas's 14th congressional district Texas's 14th congressional district for the United States House of Representatives stretches from Freeport to Beaumont. It formerly covered the area south and southwest of the Greater Houston region, including Galveston, in the state of Texas ...

and was elected to serve from 1903 to 1919. He served a total of eleven terms in Congress. In Congress Slayden promoted the growth of the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

system in Texas. He served on the Committee on Military Affairs and was key in making

a military center and in enlarging Fort Sam Houston. After losing his bid for appointment as President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

's Secretary of War, Slayden declined renomination to run for Congress in 1918. When he left Congress in 1919, Slayden kept busy with mines in Mexico, a ranch in Texas, and an orchard in

Honors

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

Key,

*Slayden, Texas in Gonzales County was named in his honor in the late 1880s.Harden
Stephen., "Slayden, TX"
''Handbook of Texas Online'', July 1, 1995. Texas State Historical Association, accessed 6 November 2012

Personal life

In 1883, he married Ellen Maury who was from

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

.Mary S. Pearson, "Slayden, Ellen Maury"
''Handbook of Texas History Online'', accessed 6 November 2012 They had no children. In 1889, Ellen worked for the San Antonio ''Express'' as the society editor.'''' After Slayden's election to Congress, they moved to Washington, D.C. in 1896. In October 1910, Slayden became one of the first trustees of the

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington D.C. with operations in Europe, South and East Asia, and the Middle East as well as the United States. Founded in ...

. He was also president of the American Peace Society. He was active in various fraternal organizations, including the Elks, the

Masons Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutt ...

, and the Odd Fellows. In addition, he was an

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

. In 1927, he died in

at the age of 70. He was buried in Mission Park Cemetery.

References

Further information

*Sondra Wyatt Gray, ''The Political Career of James Luther Slayden'', University of Texas at Austin, 1962 {{DEFAULTSORT:Slayden, James Luther 1853 births 1924 deaths People from Mayfield, Kentucky People from New Orleans Washington and Lee University alumni St. Anthony Hall People from San Antonio American Episcopalians 19th-century American merchants Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas American Freemasons 19th-century American Episcopalians 20th-century American Episcopalians