William Russell Willcox (April 11, 1863 – April 9, 1940) was an American politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. On January 1, 1905, he became the

Postmaster of New York City A post office may have operated in New York City as early as 1687. The United States Postal Service has no information on New York's postmasters prior to the year 1775. The New York City Post Office is first mentioned in Hugh Finlay's journal date ...

. By 1909 he was chairman of the

New York Public Service Commission The New York Public Service Commission is the public utilities commission of the New York state government that regulates and oversees the electric, gas, water, and telecommunication industries in New York as part of the Department of Public Servi ...

. He served on the Railway Wage Commission in 1918.

Biography

He was born on April 11, 1863, in Smyrna, New York, to Thomas L. Willcox.His New York Red Book biography uses the year "1863" but his passport application from June 14, 1924 uses "April 11, 1861". He attended the state

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

Brockport, New York Brockport is a village in the Town of Sweden, with two tiny portions in the Town of Clarkson, in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 7,104 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The name is derived from Heil Brockway, an early settler ...

. He later attended the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of ...

. He served as principal of the Webster Academy and Spring Valley High School. He then attended

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1890. Around 1901 Mayor

Seth Low Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American educator and political figure who served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1881 to 1885, the president of Columbia University from 1890 to 1901, a diplomatic representative of ...

appointed him to the

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolo ...

where he served for two years as president of the commission. In 1904, he married Martha J. Havemeyer, descendant of Mayor William Frederick Havemeyer. On January 1, 1905, he became the

. He was appointed by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. On July 1, 1907, he became

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

of the

. Willcox served as chairman of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in ...

from 1916 to 1918. He encouraged Republican congressmen during votes for the 19th Amendment Willcox resigned after being appointed to the Railway Wage Commission, also known as the U.S. Railroad Commission in 1918. Others appointed by the

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 ...

administration were

U.S. Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natura ...

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 commi ...

, Charles Caldwell McChord of the Interstate Commerce Commission and D.C. chief justice

J. Harry Covington James Harry Covington (May 3, 1870 – February 4, 1942) was a United States representative from Maryland and United States federal judge, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. He founded the major law firm of Covington ...

. The commission investigated railroad wages. He became a widower in 1939. He died on April 9, 1940, a Southside Hospital in Bayshore, New York.

References

External links

*
William Russell Willcox
at Political Graveyard The Congress of the United States SurrendersThe Frisco-Man
-> {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcox, William R. 1863 births 1940 deaths Columbia Law School alumni New York (state) lawyers New York (state) Republicans New York City Department of Parks and Recreation New York Public Service Commission People from Chenango County, New York Postmasters of New York City Railway Wage Commission Republican National Committee chairs University of Rochester alumni