Winthrop More Daniels (September 30, 1867 – January 3, 1944) was an American government official and university professor. A friend and onetime assistant of then-Professor
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 ...
, President Wilson appointed Daniels, then a member of the
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is a regulatory authority in New Jersey "with authority to oversee the regulated utilities, which in turn provide critical services such as natural gas, electricity, water, telecommunications and ca ...
to the
Interstate Commerce Commission in 1914, and stood by him through a bitter confirmation battle in the Senate.
He was a longtime professor at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, where he was an assistant to Wilson before becoming a fellow professor, and at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
.
Early life
He was born in
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater D ...
, the son of Mary and Edwin Daniels.
He attended
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
where he secured his bachelor's degree in 1888 and his master's degree two years later.
He studied at the
University of Leipzig
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...
in 1890, and taught for a year as an instructor at
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...
from 1891–92.
New Jersey
In 1892, Daniels was appointed as
assistant professor
Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada.
Overview
This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree
A docto ...
of political economy, and three years later became a full professor, a post he kept until he entered government service in 1911. He married Joan Robertson in 1898;
the two had a son, Robertson Balfour Daniels.
A friend of Wilson's, Daniels joined with Wilson in training the Princeton debaters for their championship matches against
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
and
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
.
On May 1, 1911, Daniels became a member of the
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is a regulatory authority in New Jersey "with authority to oversee the regulated utilities, which in turn provide critical services such as natural gas, electricity, water, telecommunications and ca ...
, replacing
Frank H. Sommer of
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.[rate case
Utility ratemaking is the formal regulatory process in the United States by which public utilities set the prices (more commonly known as "rates") they will charge consumers. Ratemaking, typically carried out through "rate cases" before a public u ...]
opinion involving the
Passaic Gas Company, in which he added intangible value for
goodwill to the physical value of the corporation.
This was controversial, since regulated companies' rates were a percentage of their valuation.
Interstate Commerce Commission
On November 21, 1913, Interstate Commerce Commissioner
John Hobart Marble
John Hobart Marble (February 26, 1869 – November 21, 1913) was an American attorney and government official, who was appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission in March 1913 and served on the commission until his death eight months later.
...
died after an attack of acute indigestion. The death of Marble, who had been appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of
Franklin Knight Lane
Franklin Knight Lane (July 15, 1864 – May 18, 1921) was an American progressive politician from California. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1913 to 1920. He also served as a comm ...
after Lane was appointed Interior Secretary, together with the resignation of
Charles A. Prouty left Wilson with two seats to fill. He chose Daniels and
Henry Clay Hall.
While Hall had no difficulty being confirmed,
because of the Passaic rate case, Daniels' nomination was bitterly opposed by progressives in the Senate led by
Robert M. La Follette, Sr. and New Jersey Senator
James Edgar Martine
James Edgar Martine (August 25, 1850February 26, 1925) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as United States Senator from New Jersey.
Biography
He was born in New York City on August 25, 1850. He moved with his parents to Plai ...
. Wilson refused to withdraw the nominations, stating that he would be personally responsible for Daniels' success as an ICC member. After a three-day battle, the Senate confirmed Daniels, with La Follette himself voting for confirmation.
Daniels' confirmation, by a vote of 36 to 27 on April 3, 1914, came after some Democrats who had been inclined to oppose Daniels voted in favor rather than offend President Wilson by rejecting
a personal friend of the President. The nomination had been believed to be in serious danger, with the Democrats "in despair" fearing a rejection by the Senate.
Wilson's renomination of Daniels in December 1916 set off a second bruising fight in the Senate, with the progressive wing of the Republican party opposing the nomination due to their belief that Daniels was a reactionary. Nonetheless, Daniels was reconfirmed for a full seven-year term on January 10, 1917, by a vote of 42 to 15.
Later life
In early 1923, nearly a year before the scheduled end of his term, Daniels resigned.
He became a professor of transportation at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, where he served until 1940 when he retired.
He died January 3, 1944, in
Saybrook Point,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, Winthrop M..
1867 births
1944 deaths
People of the Interstate Commerce Commission
Wesleyan University faculty
Princeton University alumni
Princeton University faculty
Yale University faculty
People from Dayton, Ohio