Charles Curtis

Charles Curtis
source
Name	Charles Curtis
Caption	Curtis c. 1929
Office	31st Vice President of the United States
President	Herbert Hoover
Term start	March 4, 1929
Term end	March 4, 1933
Predecessor	Charles G. Dawes
Successor	John Nance Garner
Office1	President pro tempore of the United States Senate
Term start1	December 4, 1911
Term end1	December 12, 1911
Predecessor1	Augustus Octavius Bacon
Successor1	Augustus Octavius Bacon
Jr/sr2	United States Senator
State2	Kansas
Term start2	March 4, 1907
Term end2	March 4, 1913
Predecessor2	Alfred W. Benson
Successor2	William Howard Thompson
Term start3	March 4, 1915
Term end3	March 4, 1929
Predecessor3	William Howard Thompson
Successor3	Henry J. Allen
Office4	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kansas
Term start4	March 4, 1893
Term end4	March 4, 1907
Predecessor4	Case Broderick
Successor4	William A. Reeder
Constituency4	4th district (1893–1899), 1st district (1899–1907)
Office5	Senate Majority Leader
Term start5	November 9, 1924
Term end5	March 4, 1929
Predecessor5	Henry Cabot Lodge
Successor5	James Eli Watson
Party	Republican
Birth date	January 25, 1860
Birth place	Topeka, Kansas Territory, U.S.
Death date	February 8, 1936 (aged 76)
Death place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Restingplace	Topeka Cemetery
Spouse	Annie Baird, 1884, 1924

Charles Curtis. He was the 31st Vice President of the United States, serving under President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first person with significant Native American ancestry and the only enrolled member of a Native American tribe to reach the nation's second-highest office. Prior to his vice presidency, Curtis had a long and influential career in the United States Congress, serving as both a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from Kansas.

Early life and education

Charles Curtis was born on January 25, 1860, in Topeka, in the Kansas Territory. His mother, Ellen Pappan Curtis, was of Kaw, Osage, and French ancestry, and his father, Orren Curtis, was of English descent. After his mother's early death, he was largely raised by his maternal grandparents on the Kaw Nation reservation near Council Grove, becoming fluent in the Kaw language and French. He later returned to Topeka to live with his paternal grandparents, attending Topeka High School before studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1881 and began practicing law in Topeka.

Political career

Curtis entered politics as a Republican prosecutor for Shawnee County. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1892, representing Kansas's 4th congressional district and later the 1st district. In the House of Representatives, he served on the influential Committee on Ways and Means and was a staunch ally of President William McKinley. Elected to the United States Senate in 1907, he became a prominent figure in the Republican leadership. He served as President pro tempore of the Senate briefly in 1911 and was elected Senate Majority Leader in 1924, working closely with President Calvin Coolidge.

Vice presidency (1929–1933)

Curtis was elected Vice President of the United States on the ticket with Herbert Hoover in 1928. His tenure coincided with the onset of the Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash of 1929. As vice president, he presided over the United States Senate but had limited influence within the Hoover administration, which was often criticized for its response to the economic crisis. His relationship with Hoover was notably formal and distant. The Hoover–Curtis ticket was defeated in a landslide in the 1932 election by Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.

Later life and death

After leaving the vice presidency, Curtis remained in Washington, D.C., returning to his legal practice. He occasionally served as a chair for the Republican National Committee's speakers' bureau and made appearances at Republican events. He died of a heart attack on February 8, 1936, in Washington, D.C.. His body was returned to Kansas, and he was interred at Topeka Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

Curtis is remembered as a trailblazer for his Native American heritage, with his portrait displayed in the Kansas State Capitol. The Charles Curtis House in Topeka is a museum. His image was featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1936. The USS *Charles Curtis* (FFG-38), a guided-missile frigate, was named in his honor. His political career, particularly his rise to Senate Majority Leader and Vice President, remains a significant part of the political history of Kansas and the Republican Party.

Category:1860 births Category:1936 deaths Category:Vice Presidents of the United States Category:United States senators from Kansas Category:Republican Party vice presidents of the United States