Pius Louis Schwert (November 22, 1892 – March 11, 1941) was an American politician and

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player. He played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

and was a member of 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from . Schwert was from

Angola, New York Angola is a village in the town of Evans in Erie County, New York, United States. Located east of Lake Erie, the village is southwest of downtown Buffalo. As of the 2010 Census, Angola had a population of 2,127. An unincorporated community kn ...

. He attended the

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private Ivy League rese ...

, and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

Penn Quakers The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing. School colors There are se ...

as a

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

. He signed with the Yankees and played for them in the 1914 and 1915 seasons. He then continued his career in the minor leagues. Meanwhile, he opened a grocery store in his hometown of

, served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and became president of the Bank of Angola. A member of the

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 ...

, Schwert was elected

county clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

of Erie County in 1933 and reelected in 1936. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1938 and reelected in 1940. Schwert died following a heart attack as he was giving a speech on March 11, 1941.

Early life

Schwert was born in

, on November 22, 1892. He was the only child of Louisa and Julius Schwert, who was the

town supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

Evans, New York Evans is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 16,356 at the 2010 census. The town derives its name from David E. Evans, an agent of the Holland Land Company and nephew of land agent Joseph Ellicott. The town is appro ...

. He attended Angola High School in Angola, until he transferred to Lafayette High School in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, in 1909. He played as a

on the baseball teams of both high schools, and played

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

baseball on the weekends. Schwert graduated from Lafayette in 1910. PiusLSchwert

Schwert enrolled at the Wharton School of Commerce at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. While enrolled at Penn, he was a member of

Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon (), commonly known as SigEp, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College (now the University of Richmond), and its national headquarte ...

and played

for the

as a catcher. In his senior year, his teammates voted for him to be the team

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He had a .183

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

in 26 games for the Quakers in 1914. Despite his poor batting average, his defensive abilities resulted in his being named to the "All-Consensus" team, a forerunner for the

College Baseball All-America Team College Baseball All-America teams are selected each year by various organizations and consist of players who compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and National Junior ...

. Schwert graduated from Penn in 1914 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in economics.

Professional baseball career

After his graduation,

Frank Chance Frank Leroy Chance (September 9, 1877 – September 15, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. A first baseman, Chance played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (initially named the "Orphans") and New York Yankees from 18 ...

, the

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

of the

, signed Schwert to a contract. He made his major league debut on August 20. He played in three games for the Yankees in 1914, and did not have a

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

in eight

plate appearance In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...

s. During the 1914–15 offseason, Schwert claimed that there was an error in his contract that made him a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He was pursued by the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, but

Bill Donovan William Edward Donovan (October 13, 1876 – December 9, 1923), nicknamed "Wild Bill" and "Smiling Bill", was an American right-handed baseball pitcher and manager. Donovan played Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators (1898), Broo ...

, the Yankees' new manager, convinced him to sign a new contract with the Yankees. In 1915, Schwert was the third-string catcher behind

Jeff Sweeney Edward Francis Sweeney (July 19, 1888 – July 4, 1947), often referred to as "Big Ed Sweeney", was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, New York Highlanders / Yankees of the Ame ...

and Les Nunamaker. Schwert played in four games for the Yankees before they demoted him to the

Jersey City Skeeters The Jersey City Skeeters were a minor league baseball team which operated in Jersey City, New Jersey. The club started in the 1860s and by 1870 joined the National Association of Base Ball Players. By 1885, Jersey City had joined the Eastern Le ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. He batted .214 in 31 games for Jersey City, was promoted to the Yankees towards the end of the season, and played in five more games for the Yankees. The game of October 7, 1915, was his last major league game. He played in 12 major league games, with a .208 batting average in 24

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...

s. After the 1915 season, the

University of the South The University of the South, familiarly known as Sewanee (), is a private Episcopal liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church, and its School of Theology is an official seminary of ...

named Schwert their new

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

. He opened a general store in Angola in 1916. With the Yankees, Schwert competed with Nunamaker,

Roxy Walters Alfred John Walters (November 5, 1892 – June 3, 1956) born in San Francisco, California, was a catcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees (1915–18), Boston Red Sox (1919–23) and Cleveland Indians (1924–25). Biography He was ...

, and

Walt Alexander Walter Ernest Alexander (March 5, 1891 – December 29, 1978) was a former Major League Baseball player. He batted and threw right-handed, and weight 165 pounds. He was a catcher for the St. Louis Browns and the New York Yankees. In 162 career gam ...

for a roster spot for the 1916 season, but he was demoted to the

Newark Indians The Newark Sailors, later known as the Newark Indians, were a minor league baseball team in the early twentieth century. The team played its games at Wiedenmayer's Park in Newark, New Jersey. Newark played in the Eastern League between 1908 and 1 ...

of the International League, where he batted .232 in 84 games. Before the 1917 season, he informed teams that he was retired from baseball. The

Mobile Sea Gulls Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

of the Class A

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cl ...

purchased him from Newark, and Schwert refused to report to Mobile. Mobile suspended him but still reserved him for the 1918 season. In March 1918, Schwert enlisted in the

. He served first as a

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

at the

Bremerton Navy Yard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...

, and later he was commissioned as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

at the

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...

. In Philadelphia, he played for the 4th Naval District baseball team, which was managed by Harry Davis, and included

Morrie Rath Morris Charles Rath (December 25, 1887 – November 18, 1945) was an American baseball player. He played second base in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnati Reds. Rath was the ...

Jing Johnson Russell Conwell "Jing" Johnson (October 9, 1894 – December 6, 1950) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics. He played in five seasons for the Athletics in three separate stints, –, and &ndas ...

, and

Bob Shawkey James Robert Shawkey (December 4, 1890 – December 31, 1980) was an American baseball pitcher who played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees from 1915 to 1927. He batted ...

. He was discharged from the Navy at the end of the war. Schwert returned to Angola in 1920, and played semi-professional baseball locally. When all three catchers for the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

of the International League were injured during the 1920 season, Schwert signed with Buffalo, and batted .496 in 14 games. He returned to the Bisons in 1921, under the agreement that he would only play for Buffalo in home games. He batted .262 in 29 games. He was released in April 1922 when he did not report to the team. He worked at the Bank of Angola, starting as a clerk and cashier, and working his way up to serve as its president. He remained involved in semi-professional sports, becoming the president of the Western New York League in 1929.

Political career

Schwert became involved in civic organizations in Angola. He was elected vice commander of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

, president of the Angola volunteer fire department and the Southwestern Volunteer Firemen's Association, and the master of the

masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

in Evans. In 1933, Schwert ran for

of Erie County as a

Democrat 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 ...

. He won the election, won reelection in 1938, and served from 1934 to 1938, In 1938, Democrats needed to nominate a replacement candidate for James M. Mead in in the

, after Mead was nominated to run for 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 ...

. Democratic Party members selected Schwert. He won the election, defeating

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 ...

John Cornelius Butler John Cornelius Butler (July 2, 1887–August 13, 1953) was a Republican politician from New York. He was most notable for his service as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1941 to 1949 and 1951 to 1953. Biography B ...

. Schwert was reelected in 1940, beating Edward F. Moss. As a member of Congress, Schwert opposed the development of the

Saint Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...

and supported the development of harbors for boats in the

Southtowns The Southtowns (also known as the Buffalo Southtowns, the South Towns, or Southtown) is a region of Western New York, United States, that lies within the snowbelt or ski country. It includes the southern suburbs of Buffalo, New York. This is the ...

and welfare programs and vocational training for youth. He supported providing aid to France and Great Britain during World War II. Schwert also wrote to

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Herbert H. Lehman Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 194 ...

to advocate for the completion of McKinley Parkway. Pi Schwert grave

Personal life and death

Schwert married Harriet "Hattie" Elizabeth Schwert, a distant cousin, on February 12, 1923. She was a teacher in Buffalo and

Eden, New York Eden is a town located south of Buffalo, in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 7,688 at the 2010 census. The basis for choosing the town's name is unknown. Eden is one of the interior "Southtowns" of Erie County, lying in ...

. They did not have children. Schwert died in

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, ...

on March 11, 1941. He attended a dinner party at the Annapolis Hotel and collapsed shortly after making a speech. In the speech, he was announcing his candidacy for mayor of Buffalo. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack. He was buried at Forest Avenue Cemetery in Angola. Schwert had survived a previous heart attack in 1940 that occurred when he was exercising in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

gymnasium. Harriet Schwert ran against Butler in the

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

to fill the remainder of Schwert's term in Congress. As she was still in mourning, Harriet did not campaign, with Mead making speeches on her behalf. Butler defeated Schwert in the election.

References

External links