Henry Thomas Rainey (August 20, 1860 – August 19, 1934) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, he served in 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1903 to 1921 and from 1923 to his death. He rose to Speaker of the House, during the famous Hundred days of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

in 1933.

Biography

Early years

Rainey attended the public schools and Knox Academy and Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. He transferred to, and graduated from Amherst College in 1883 and then the Union College of Law, in Chicago which he graduated in 1885. He was admitted to the bar in 1885 and commenced practice in

Carrollton, Illinois Carrollton is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,484 as of the 2010 census. Geography Carrollton is located in south-central Greene County at (39.296662, -90.408059). U.S. Route 67 pa ...

Political career

Rainey was appointed master in chancery for

Greene County, Illinois Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 11,843. Its county seat is Carrollton. A notable archaeological area, the Koster Site, has produced evidence o ...

, from 1887 until 1895, when he resigned, and returned to private practice. He then decided to return to politics in 1902 getting elected to Congress and serving for nine terms before losing to Guy L. Shaw in 1920. Two years later, he won back his seat and served until his death.

Leadership

Due to the Great Depression, the Republican party lost its majority in a landslide, and, with John Nance Garner elevated to the Speakership, Rainey ran for, and defeated

John McDuffie John McDuffie (September 25, 1883 – November 1, 1950) was a United States representative from Alabama and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Education and career Born on ...

for the Majority leadership. McDuffie remained as Whip.

Speaker of the House

With Speaker Garner having been inaugurated Vice President on March 4, 1933, Rainey, being next in line, was elected Speaker of the House when President Roosevelt called a special session of Congress two days later. Rainey gave the Roosevelt administration carte blanche to do whatever it wanted, allowing almost the entire New Deal to be passed with little or no changes. More reforms were passed during the regular session starting December. Rainey died of a heart attack the following summer, on the eve of his seventy-fourth birthday, before the new Congress could meet.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rainey, Henry T. 1860 births 1934 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians Amherst College alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Illinois lawyers Illinois state court judges Knox College (Illinois) alumni Majority leaders of the United States House of Representatives Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni People from Carrollton, Illinois Speakers of the United States House of Representatives