William Hughes (April 3, 1872January 30, 1918) was an American politician of Irish origin. 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 ...
, he served in both houses of 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 ...
as the
U.S. 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 c ...
for
New Jersey's 6th congressional district
New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Democrat Frank Pallone, who has served the district in Congress since 1993. The district includes the northern and eastern portions of Middlesex County and the coastal areas of Monmou ...
from 1903 to 1905 and again from 1907 to 1912 and a
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 powe ...
from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
from 1913 to 1918.
Biography
Hughes was born in
Drogheda,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1880. They settled in
Paterson, New Jersey. His first jobs were as a stenographer in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and a court reporter in Paterson. He served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
throughout the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
after which he became a lawyer and practiced in Paterson.
In 1902, Hughes successfully ran for his first political office 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 ...
and represented New Jersey in the
U.S. House of Representatives. He served a single term before falling to
Henry C. Allen in his bid for re-election. In 1906, he ran again for the same seat and served three more terms in the House before resigning on September 12, 1912 to accept an appointment to be judge on the court of common pleas of
Passaic County.
Months later, Hughes was elected 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 ...
from New Jersey but served less than five years before dying in office at age 45.
Hughes is buried at
Cedar Lawn Cemetery
Cedar Lawn Cemetery is a rural cemetery in Paterson, New Jersey, and is also considered one of the finest Victorian cemeteries in the USA. Cedar Lawn Cemetery officially opened in September 1867, and recorded its first burial on September 27, 186 ...
in
Paterson, New Jersey.
See also
*
List of United States senators born outside the United States
This is a list of United States senators born outside the United States. It includes senators born in foreign countries (whether to American or foreign parents). The list also includes senators born in territories outside the United States that wer ...
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
References
*
William Hughes, late a senator from New Jersey, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1919
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, William (Senator)
1872 births
Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
People from Drogheda
Politicians from County Louth
Democratic Party United States senators from New Jersey
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
1918 deaths
19th-century Irish people
Burials at Cedar Lawn Cemetery
19th-century American politicians