‘Sunny Jim’ James E. Watson of Indiana By Ray Hill For half a century, James Eli Watson was an important factor in Indiana politics. For most of that time, Watson occupied a seat in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the United States Senate. A jovial fellow...

The Gentleman From Oregon: Rufus Holman By Ray Hill Oftentimes the success of a candidate for public office has as much to do with the particular times, the mood of the public at a given moment. One of the advantages of being a United States senator is the length of a...

The Senator From Arkansas John L. McClellan By Ray Hill John Little McClellan remains the longest serving United States senator from Arkansas.  Not one to waste words, John L. McClellan had the appearance of a fierce church elder merely waiting to spot the first...

Robert L. Owen of Oklahoma By Ray Hill Having been born in Oklahoma while my father was in the military, I have always had a special interest in the politics of the Sooner State.  This is being written as the anniversary of Oklahoma being admitted into the union of...

The Minority Leader: Charles L. McNary of Oregon By Ray Hill It may surprise readers there was a time when Oregon was a highly Republican state.  In fact, it was the home state of Charles Linza McNary, who served as minority leader during some of the most difficult...

The Gentleman From Florida: Charles O. Andrews By Ray Hill Few, if any, regular readers of this column will ever have heard of Charles Oscar Andrews, but for a decade he represented Florida in the United States Senate.  Thin to the point of being gaunt, Andrews looked...

‘Sons of the Wild Jack Ass’ George H. Moses of New Hampshire By Ray Hill There was a time when George Higgins Moses was one of the most powerful members of the United States Senate. A partisan Republican with a tart tongue, Moses was thought to be the spokesman of...

The Last of the Gray Wolves: James Bowler By Ray Hill I would be shocked if a single reader of this column, which draws some of the best-informed people on political history in many instances, has heard of James B. Bowler before.  Yet he is notable for a few reasons,...

The Gentleman From Ohio: Martin L. Sweeney By Ray Hill Martin L. Sweeney may not have served as long as many of his colleagues in the House of Representatives, but folks knew he was there when he was a member. For twelve years, Sweeney represented a district in...

The Gentleman From Indiana: Ray J. Madden By Ray Hill   Ray John Madden served in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1943 until 1977, a total of 34 years, representing the most solidly Democratic district in Indiana.  A big, bluff man with a thick thatch of...