Maurice Hudson Thatcher (August 15, 1870January 6, 1973) was a U.S. Congressman. Thatcher was elected to
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
in 1922 from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
. He served until 1933.
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Thatcher's family moved to
Butler County, Kentucky
Butler County is a county located in the US state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 12,371. Its county seat is Morgantown. The county was formed in 1810, becoming Kentucky's 53rd county. Butler County is included in the B ...
in 1874 and settled near
Morgantown. Thatcher worked in farming, on a newspaper and in county offices. He was elected the circuit court clerk for Butler County in 1892 and served from January 1, 1893, until his resignation in 1896. He studied law in
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...
and was admitted to the bar in 1898, commencing his law practice in Frankfort. Thatcher was an Assistant
Attorney General of Kentucky
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, they serve several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (K ...
1898–1900 and then moved to
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
in 1900. He was an Assistant
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 the Western District of Kentucky from 1901 to 1906 and a state inspector and examiner for Kentucky 1908–1910.
Thatcher was also a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission and governor of the
Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terri ...
from 1909 to 1913. Thatcher was the Commission's longest-lived and last surviving member.
During his congressional tenure, he guided the passage of several Kentucky landmarks and parks:
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in west-central Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper Sout ...
,
Lincoln's birthplace, and the
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located at 4701 Brownsboro Road ( US-42), in Louisville, Kentucky. It is named for Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, who is buried there with his wife, M ...
. In 1932, he gave up his seat in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat
Alben W. Barkley
Alben William Barkley (; November 24, 1877 – April 30, 1956) was an American lawyer and politician from Kentucky who served in both houses of Congress and as the 35th vice president of the United States from 1949 to 1953 under Presiden ...
for election 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 pow ...
.
Thatcher served on the general counsel of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventative Medicine, Inc.,
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
beginning in 1939 and became its vice president in 1948, a post which he held until 1969 when he was made honorary president, a position previously reserved for
Presidents of the United States
The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and ...
. In 1962, the first bridge connecting both sides of the Panama Canal was named after him: Thatcher Ferry Bridge. In 1979, the name was officially changed to the
Bridge of the Americas
The Bridge of the Americas ( es, Puente de las Américas; originally known as the Thatcher Ferry Bridge) is a road bridge in Panama which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Designed by Sverdrup & Parcel, it was completed in 1962 at ...
.
Legacy
As of 2017, he is the second-longest lived person to have served in 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 ...
, having lived to the age of 102 years and 144 days, behind
Elizabeth Hawley Gasque
Elizabeth Gasque Van Exem (February 26, 1886 – November 2, 1989), named Elizabeth Hawley Gasque during her tenure in Congress, was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 6th congressional district fr ...
, who lived to the age of 103 years, 249 days.
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thatcher, Maurice
1870 births
1973 deaths
American centenarians
American prosecutors
Governors of the Panama Canal Zone
Kentucky lawyers
Men centenarians
Politicians from Chicago
United States Department of Justice lawyers
United States military governors
People from Butler County, Kentucky
Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky