Thomas Chipman McRae (December 21, 1851June 2, 1929) was an American attorney and politician from Arkansas. He served as a

Democratic 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 ...

member of the United States House of Representatives (1885 to 1903) and the 26th

Governor of Arkansas 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 r ...

, from 1921 to 1925.

Biography

Thomas Chipman McRae, the eldest of five siblings, was born to Duncan L. and Mary Ann (Chipman) McRae on December 21, 1851, at Mount Holly in Union County, Arkansas. He attended Soule Business College in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated with a law degree from Washington and Lee University in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

. He passed the Arkansas bar in 1873, and began his practice at Rosston in Nevada County, Arkansas. He married Amelia Ann White in December 1874, with whom he would go on to have six daughters and three sons. On May 19, 1877, Nevada County voters elected to move the county seat from Rosston, and construct a new courthouse in the newly created railroad town of Prescott. McRae relocated his family there to be closer to his center of business. In 1874, McRae was appointed to the post of Election Commissioner in Arkansas. From 1877 to 1879, he served in the

Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...

and was a presidential elector in 1880. In 1884, 1896, and 1900, he was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

and served as president of the convention twice. From 1888 to 1902 he was a member of the

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. The DCCC recruits candidates, raises ...

. From 1885 to 1903, McRae served in the United States House of Representatives. In 1902, McRae donated land for an African American school in Prescott, Arkansas. McRae's Elementary, Middle, and High School were integrated with the Prescott School District in 1969. In 1917 and 1918, McRae was president of the Arkansas Bar Association; in the latter year he took part in the Arkansas

Constitutional Convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

. In 1920, McRae was elected to his first term as

. In the election, McRae represented 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 ...

, receiving 123,637 votes (66.6 percent).

Wallace Townsend Wallace Townsend (August 20, 1882 – January 7, 1979) was an American lawyer who was from 1928 to 1961 the Republican national committeeman for the U.S. state of Arkansas. When he left his party's national committee, he was succeeded by Win ...

represented the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, receiving 46,350 votes (25 percent), and

Josiah H. Blount Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah (–609 BCE) who, according to the Hebrew Bible, instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh. Josiah is credited by most biblical s ...

represented the Independent Party, receiving 15,627 votes (8.4 percent). Blount, an African American school superintendent from Forest City, was the leader of a splinter GOP faction called the "Black-and-Tan Republicans," who protested the "lily-white" stand of its new leaders that included gubernatorial nominee Townsend. Blount was the first of his race to seek election as Arkansas's chief executive. McRae was elected to his second term in 1922. In that election, McRae received 99,987 votes (78.1 percent), and Republican

John W. Grabiel John Willington Grabiel (March 17, 1867 – April 13, 1928) was an attorney in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1922 and 1924. Background Grabiel was one of nine children born to John Grabiel (1815 ...

received 28,055 votes (21.9 percent). During his tenure, the

Arkansas Railroad Commission The Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) regulates the service and rates of those utilities subject to its jurisdiction in the State of Arkansas, United States. It was originally created by the Arkansas General Assembly on March 11, 1899, as ...

was re-established, the Arkansas Corporation Commission was abolished, and the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanitarium for Negroes was established. A severance tax was passed with its revenue funding public schools, the Arkansas Office of State Geologist was created, and a personal income tax law was enacted. Upon the end of his governorship, McRae was appointed special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He was elected a life member of the Arkansas Democratic State Convention in 1926. After serving four years as Governor of Arkansas, McRae returned to Prescott to be with his family. He resumed his law practice and he engaged in banking activities until his death on June 2, 1929. McRae is buried in the historic section of the De Ann Cemetery in Prescott. McRae was a cousin of

Thomas Banks Cabaniss Thomas Banks Cabaniss (August 31, 1835 – August 14, 1915) was a United States representative from Georgia. Biography Born in Forsyth, Georgia, he attended private schools and Penfield College (now Mercer University), graduated from the Univ ...

, a U.S. Representative from Georgia. He was also the grandfather of Thomas C. "Tom" McRae, III, longtime President of the

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Winthrop may refer to: Places United States *Winthrop, Arkansas *Winthrop, Connecticut is a village in Deep River, Connecticut *Winthrop, Indiana *Winthrop, Iowa * Winthrop, Maine **Winthrop (CDP), Maine *Winthrop, Massachusetts * Winthrop, Minneso ...

who challenged Bill Clinton for the Democratic Gubernatorial Nomination in 1990.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McRae, Thomas Chipman 1851 births 1929 deaths People from Union County, Arkansas People from Nevada County, Arkansas People from Prescott, Arkansas People from Lexington, Virginia Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives Democratic Party governors of Arkansas Chief Justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas 1880 United States presidential electors