William Frank McCombs (December 26, 1876 – February 22, 1921) was an American lawyer and politician who served as chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1912 to 1916.

Early life and education

McCombs was born on December 26, 1876, in

Hamburg, Arkansas Hamburg is a city and county seat of Ashley County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,857 at the 2010 census. It is best known for being the home town of NBA legend Scottie Pippen. Geography Hamburg is located at (33.227369, -91.79 ...

. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from

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 ...

in 1898 and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1901.

Career

McCombs was associated with the law firm of McCombs & Ryan 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 ...

. McCombs also worked as an advisor to

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 ...

during the 1910 New Jersey gubernatorial election later managed Wilson's successful campaign during the 1912 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Once nominated, Wilson made him chairman of the Democratic National Committee and essentially his "campaign manager." In 1913, McCombs was offered the position of

United States ambassador to France The United States ambassador to France is the official representative of the president of the United States to the president of France. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with France since the American Revolution. Relations we ...

, but turned it down for financial reasons. McCombs came to oppose Wilson's leadership style and use of power, criticizing him as

autocratic Autocracy is a system of government in which absolute power over a state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject neither to external legal restraints nor to regularized mechanisms of popular control (except per ...

. McCombs was also displeased at Wilson for refusing to offer him a Cabinet position. McCombs was the Democratic nominee in the

1916 United States Senate election in New York The 1916 United States Senate election in New York was held on November 7, 1916. Incumbent Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Senator James Aloysius O'Gorman, James O'Gorman chose not to seek re-election. Republican William M. Calder wa ...

but was defeated by Republican William M. Calder.

Personal life

In poor health, McCombs died in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and other ...

, on February 22, 1921, leaving behind an incomplete memoir, which was published as ''Making Woodrow Wilson President''. He was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in

Little Rock, Arkansas ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

References

External links

Maurice F. Lyons Collection on William McCombs at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mccombs, William F. 1876 births 1921 deaths Democratic National Committee chairs Harvard Law School alumni New York (state) Democrats New York (state) lawyers Princeton University alumni 19th-century American lawyers