Key Pittman
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Key Pittman
(b. Vicksburg, Mississippi, 19 Sept. 1872; d. 10 Nov. 1940) US; US Senator 1913 – 40 Pittman was educated at Southwestern University and studied law, which he practised in Seattle, Washington. He was then drawn by the gold rush to Alaska before moving to Nevada in 1902.
Pittman's first try for the Senate was in 1910, before the direct election of Senators. The two candidates (Pittman and George Nixon) held a mock election to test their popularity, although the final choice rested with the state legislature. Nixon won but died in 1912, when the legislature chose Pittman to succeed him.
Pittman had specialized in mining law and much of his early career in the Senate involved promoting the interest of Nevada's silver mining industry. In 1933, as a delegate to the London Economic Conference, he helped devise the eight-power silver agreement which imposed restrictions on the production of silver and hence stabilized the silver market.
He also developed a strong interest in international affairs and served on the Foreign Relations Committee, which he came to chair for seven years, succeeding Thomas Walsh (who was appointed by Franklin Roosevelt to be Attorney-General). Pittman had backed Woodrow Wilson's abortive effort to secure ratification of the Versailles Treaty and in the 1930s he used his powerful committee chairmanship to support Roosevelt's foreign policy. He played a leading part in amending the United States neutrality legislation in order to make Lend-Lease possible.
In addition to his interests in silver and foreign affairs, Pittman, as a western Senator, was a strong advocate of environmental legislation. He was a stalwart Democrat who served from 1913 to 1917 as secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus, as secretary of the Platform Committee of the Democratic National Convention in 1924, and as chairman of the Platform Committee in 1928. Although Pittman took an independent line on public land issues, he was in general a firm supporter of the New Deal and played a supporting role on the Judiciary Committee during Roosevelt's battle with the Supreme Court. He died after securing election for a fifth Senate term in 1940.
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Key Pittman
| Key Pittman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| United States Senator from Nevada |
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| In office January 29, 1913 – November 10, 1940 |
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| Preceded by | William A. Massey |
| Succeeded by | Berkeley L. Bunker |
| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – November 10, 1940 |
|
| Preceded by | George H. Moses |
| Succeeded by | William H. King |
| Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – November 10, 1940 |
|
| Preceded by | William E. Borah |
| Succeeded by | Walter F. George |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 18, 1872 Vicksburg, Mississippi |
| Died | November 10, 1940 (aged 68) Reno, Nevada |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Key Denson Pittman (September 19, 1872 – November 10, 1940) was a United States Senator from Nevada. He was a Democrat.
Pittman was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1872 and was educated by private tutors and at the Southwestern Presbyterian University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He studied law, then later became a lawyer. In 1897, he joined in the Klondike Gold Rush and worked as a miner until 1901. Pittman moved to Tonopah, Nevada, in 1902 and continued the practice of law. He represented Nevada at the St. Louis Exposition, the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition, and the irrigation congress. In 1910, he made an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Later, he was elected as a Democrat to the Senate in 1913 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George S. Nixon, and served until his death in 1940. Between 1933 and 1940 he was the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations and was also a member of the Committee on Territories and the Committee on Industrial Expositions. In addition, during those years Pittman was President pro tempore of the United States Senate.
Among his legislation is the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 which set up a formula for federal sharing of ammunition tax revenue for establishing state wildlife areas. The program is still in effect. The Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area near Hiko, Nevada, which encompasses the Frenchy and Nesbitt Lakes, is named in his honor.
Pittman "On Ice"
It was rumored for years that he died before his final election in 1940, and that party leaders kept his body on ice in a hotel bathtub until he was re-elected; this story has been disproven.[1] In fact, he suffered a severe heart attack before the election, and died after the election at the Washoe General Hospital in Reno, Nevada.
His brother, Vail M. Pittman, served as the Governor of Nevada.
Several pieces of legislation bore his name, including the Pittman Act of 1918 and the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.
The Pittman section of the Alaska Railroad, more commonly known today as the community of Meadow Lakes west of Wasilla, was also named for him.[2] Pittman Road runs north from its intersection with the George Parks Highway at "downtown" Meadow Lakes.
References
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20080118202124/http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/nsla/archives/myth/myth03.htm
- ^ Williams, Anita L.; Ewers, Linda D. (2003). Ride Guide to the Historic Alaska Railroad. Anchorage: TurnAgain Products. p. 30. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0-939301-32-X|0-939301-32-X]].
External links
| United States Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William A. Massey |
U.S. Senator from Nevada 1913–1940 |
Succeeded by Berkeley L. Bunker |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by William E. Borah Idaho |
Chair of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1933–1940 |
Succeeded by Walter F. George Georgia |
| Preceded by George H. Moses New Hampshire |
President pro tempore of the United States Senate March 9, 1933 – November 10, 1940 |
Succeeded by William H. King Utah |
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Oxford Dictionary of Political Biography
A Dictionary of Political Biography. Copyright © 1998, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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