Joseph Henry Bottum (August 7, 1903July 4, 1984) was an American politician. He served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota and as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota.

Early life

South_Dakota_Congressional_Delegation_87th_Congress_1961-1963

Bottum was born in

Faulkton, South Dakota Faulkton is a city in and county seat of Faulk County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 826 at the 2020 census. The city's nickname is "The Carousel City". History Faulkton was platted in 1886. It was named for Andrew Jackson Fau ...

and was educated in the public schools of Faulkton. His paternal grandfather,

Henry C. Bottum Henry C. Bottum (June 7, 1826 – May 23, 1913) was a farmer, American politician and member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Bottum was born on June 7, 1826, in Orwell, Vermont,"Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with ima ...

, had been a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, his maternal grandfather,

Darius S. Smith Darius S. Smith (August 19, 1833 – September 14, 1913) was a South Dakota politician. On May 20, 1862, he married Adelia M. Williams. Their daughter, Sylvia, would marry Joseph H. Bottum, later also a member of the South Dakota Senate. Sylvia a ...

, had been a member of the South Dakota Senate and his father,

Joseph H. Bottum Joseph Henry Bottum (August 7, 1903July 4, 1984) was an American politician. He served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota and as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota. Early life Bottum was born in Faulkton, South ...

, was also a member of the South Dakota Senate. He attended Yankton College and the University of South Dakota (1920–1921). He graduated from the law school of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in 1927. He was admitted to the bar in 1927 and commenced the practice of law in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, and later,

Career

Shortly after beginning his legal practice in Faulkton, Bottum was elected Faulk County State's Attorney in 1932, and was re-elected in 1934. He was appointed State Director of Taxation in 1937. In

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

, Bottum unsuccessfully ran for Governor, losing the Republican primary to Merrell Q. Sharpe. Bottum resigned from state government in 1943 to accept a position with the

Board of Economic Warfare The Office of Administrator of Export Control (also referred to as the Export Control Administration) was established in the United States by Presidential Proclamation 2413, July 2, 1940, to administer export licensing provisions of the act of July ...

. In 1944, Bottum resigned from the Board and successfully ran for Pennington County State's Attorney; he was re-elected in 1946. In 1948, Bottum was elected Chairman of the

Republican Party of South Dakota The South Dakota Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in South Dakota. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling South Dakota's at-large U.S. House seat, both U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and has ...

. In

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

, Bottum ran for Congress from

South Dakota's 2nd congressional district South Dakota's 2nd congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created after the 1910 census and was eliminated as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 Census. Members were elected at-large until the formation of indi ...

, but lost in the Republican primary to Ellis Berry. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota in 1960, and served in Governor Archie M. Gubbrud's administration from 1961 to 1962. In 1962, following the death of U.S. Senator

Francis H. Case Francis Higbee Case (December 9, 1896June 22, 1962) was an American journalist and politician who served for 25 years as a member of the United States Congress from South Dakota. He was a Republican. Biography Case was born in Everly, Iowa, the ...

, Governor Gubbrud appointed him to the Senate for the remainder of Case's term; separately, the state Republican Party named him as the replacement for Case on the ballot in the 1962 election. Case faced former U.S. Congressman

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...

in the general election, and narrowly lost election, falling short by just 597 votes, or 0.23% of the vote.

Judicial service

The son of Joseph Henry Bottum Sr. (1853–1946), circuit judge in

, from 1911 to 1942, Bottum followed his father onto the court, serving from 1965 to 1980 as a South Dakota circuit judge. Among the trials over which he presided was the controversial prosecution of the Native American activist

Russell Means Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American Ind ...

by then-Attorney General

Bill Janklow William John Janklow (September 13, 1939January 12, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician and member of the Republican Party who holds the record for the longest tenure as Governor of South Dakota: sixteen years in office. Janklow had the t ...

.Edward J. Reilly
''Legends of American Indian Resistance''
p. 290

Death and legacy

Bottum was a resident of Rapid City, South Dakota, until his death. He is interred at Pine Lawn Cemetery in Rapid City, South Dakota.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottum, Joe 1903 births 1984 deaths Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota Lieutenant governors of South Dakota South Dakota state court judges District attorneys in South Dakota People from Faulkton, South Dakota Yankton College alumni University of South Dakota School of Law alumni Republican Party United States senators from South Dakota South Dakota Republicans 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges