American politician
Tasker Oddie
|
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|
|
|
In office
March 4, 1921 ? March 3, 1933
|
Preceded by
| Charles B. Henderson
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Succeeded by
| Pat McCarran
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|
In office
January 2, 1911 ? January 4, 1915
|
Lieutenant
| Gilbert C. Ross
|
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Preceded by
| Denver S. Dickerson
|
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Succeeded by
| Emmet D. Boyle
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In office
1905?1909
|
Preceded by
| Thomas Bell
|
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Succeeded by
| Clay Tallman, Zeb Kendall
|
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|
In office
1901?1903
|
Preceded by
| James L. Butler
|
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Succeeded by
| Charles L. Richards
|
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|
|
Born
| Tasker Lowndes Oddie
(
1870-10-20
)
October 20, 1870
Brooklyn
, New York, U.S.
|
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Died
| February 17, 1950
(1950-02-17)
(aged 79)
San Francisco
, California, U.S.
|
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Resting place
| Lone Mountain Cemetery
Carson City, Nevada
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Political party
| Republican
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Spouse(s)
| Claire Gardner MacDonald (m. 1903)
Daisy Rendall MacKeigan (m. 1916)
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Education
| New York University School of Law
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Profession
| Attorney
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|
Tasker Lowndes Oddie
(October 20, 1870 ? February 17, 1950) was an American
attorney
and
politician
who served as the
12th Governor of Nevada
and a
United States Senator
. He was a member of the
Republican Party
.
A native of
Brooklyn
, New York, Oddie was educated in Brooklyn, then lived and worked for several years in Nebraska and
East Orange, New Jersey
. After graduating from
New York University School of Law
in 1895 and practicing law in New York City, in 1898 he moved to Nevada. He worked in Nevada as the attorney and business agent for wealthy businessman
Anson Phelps Stokes
, and became active in silver and gold mining. Oddie's mining investments made him wealthy, and he expanded his holdings to include ownership takes in farms, railroads, banks, and cattle ranches.
A Republican, Oddie served as school superintendent and district attorney of
Nye County
from 1901 to 1903, and was a member of the state senate from 1905 to 1909. Oddie was elected governor in 1910, and served from 1911 to 1915. After running unsuccessfully for governor in 1914 and 1918, in 1920 he won election to the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 1926, and served from 1921 to 1933. Oddie was defeated for reelection in 1932, and for election to the senate in 1938.
In retirement, Oddie spent winters in San Francisco and summers in Nevada. He died in San Francisco on February 17, 1950, and was buried at Lone Mountain Cemetery in
Carson City, Nevada
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Tasker Oddie was born in
Brooklyn
, New York on October 20, 1870, the son of Henry Meigs Oddie and Ellen Gibson (Prout) Oddie.
[1]
He attended the public schools of Brooklyn until he was 16, when ill health caused him to travel to Nebraska.
[1]
He remained there until 1894, and worked for several years as a cowboy.
[1]
Upon returning east, he settled in
East Orange, New Jersey
, where he became active in the real estate business.
[1]
He later became a clerk for a New York City wholesale importing firm, followed by work as the assistant manager of the estate of
Isaac Newton Phelps
, who had died in 1888, and
John Bond Trevor
, who had died in 1890.
[2]
While managing the Trevor estate, Oddie attended
New York University School of Law
at night, and graduated with an
LL.B.
in 1895.
[1]
He was
admitted to the bar
the same year, and practiced in New York until 1898, when he moved to Nevada.
[1]
While living in New Jersey, Oddie also served for three years as a member of the state's militia's Essex Troop of cavalry.
[2]
He volunteered for the
Spanish?American War
, but the troop was not called up, and he resigned when he moved to Nevada.
[2]
Oddie relocated to Nevada become the attorney and business agent for wealthy businessman
Anson Phelps Stokes
.
[1]
He managed Stokes' real estate, banking, railroad, and mining operations for several years, in addition to becoming active in mining in his own right.
[1]
As the business partner of Jim Butler, the founder of
Tonopah, Nevada
, and Wilson Brougher, owner of
Carson City
's
Brougher Mansion
, Oddie became wealthy as the developer and manager of gold and silver mines, railroads, cattle ranches, and farms.
[1]
Continued career
[
edit
]
A
Republican
, Oddie was the Nye County School Superintendent and District Attorney from 1901 to 1903.
[2]
He was a member of the Nevada State Senate from 1905 to 1909.
[3]
In 1910, Oddie was the successful Republican nominee for governor, and he served from 1911 to 1915.
[3]
As a
Progressive Republican
, Oddie advocated for worker's compensation, mine safety, and an eight hour workday.
[3]
In addition, women received the right to vote in local elections, and the state's first laws regulating motor vehicles were enacted.
[4]
On March 17, 1911, he signed the city charter for
Las Vegas
, the first incorporated city in the state.
[5]
Because he was not married during his governorship, Oddie's mother Ellen and his sisters acted as official hostesses.
[6]
Oddie was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 and returned to his business interests.
[3]
He ran for governor unsuccessfully in 1918.
[3]
During
World War I
, Oddie was chairman of Nevada's transportation committee, war industries board, and council of national defense.
[1]
His continued business interests included serving as president of the Tonopah City Mining Company and the Nye County Bank.
[2]
In addition, he was an executive or manager of the Tonopah Belmont Development Company, Tonopah City Mining Company, Tonopah Fraction Mining Company, and Gold Hill Mining Company.
[2]
U.S. Senator
[
edit
]
In 1920, Oddie staged a political comeback by winning election to the U.S. Senate.
[7]
He was reelected in 1926, and served from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1933.
[7]
During his senate career, Oddie was chairman of the Committee On Mines and Mining (
68th
through
71st
Congresses), and the Committee On Post Offices and Post Roads (
72nd Congress
).
[7]
Oddie clashed in the senate with
Hiram Johnson
of California over the location of the proposed
San Francisco?Oakland Bay Bridge
.
[6]
San Francisco area businessmen, in conjunction with Johnson, argued in favor of a location that Oddie believed would disadvantage the
United States Navy
by destroying anchorages for warships.
[6]
Subsequent negotiations resulted in the selection of a site that protected the navy's interests.
[6]
Oddie was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932, and for election in 1938.
[3]
After leaving the senate, he resumed his business interests, including serving as president of the Gold Mining Association of America and the Nevada Mine Owners' Association.
[3]
Later life, death, and legacy
[
edit
]
In his later years, Oddie and his wife spent winters in San Francisco and summers in Nevada.
[6]
Oddie was a member of the
American Institute of Mining Engineers
and American Cattle Breeders Association.
[1]
[2]
He belonged to the
Alta Club
of Salt Lake City and the
Bohemian Club
of San Francisco.
[1]
[2]
Oddie was a
Mason
, and attained the 32nd degree of the
Scottish Rite
.
[8]
He was a member of the
Knights Templar
, the
Elks
, and the
Episcopal Church
.
[1]
[8]
[9]
Oddie died in
San Francisco
on February 17, 1950.
[7]
He was interred at Lone Mountain Cemetery,
Carson City, Nevada
.
[7]
Mount Oddie near Tonopah is named after Oddie, as is
Oddie Boulevard
in
Reno
and
Sparks
.
[10]
[11]
Oddie's Tonopah home, the
Uri B. Curtis House?Tasker L. Oddie House
, was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
[12]
Family
[
edit
]
In December 1903, Oddie married Claire Gardner MacDonald; they divorced in November 1904.
[13]
[14]
In November 1916, he married Daisy Rendall MacKeigan, and they were married until his death.
[15]
[16]
Oddie had no children with either wife.
[16]
Oddie was a descendant of several prominent American families;
Henry Meigs
was his great-grandfather, and
Henry Meigs Jr.
was his grand-uncle.
[2]
Other direct ancestors and extended family included
Benjamin Stoddert
,
Benjamin Tasker Sr.
, and
Christopher Lowndes
.
[2]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
Williamson, Stanley H., ed. (1926).
Who's Who in the Nation's Capital
. Washington, DC: Ransdell Incorporated. p. 435 – via
Google Books
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
Cauldwell, William, ed. (September 1903).
"Tasker Lowndes Oddie: General Manager of the Tonopah Mining Company, of Nevada, and a Prominent Mining Man and Stock-Raiser of That State"
.
Successful American
. New York, NY: The Writers' Press Association. pp. 572?573 – via
Google Books
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Capace, Nancy (2000).
Encyclopedia of Nevada
. Santa Barbara: Somerset Publishers. pp. 101?102.
ISBN
978-0-4030-9611-4
– via
Google Books
.
- ^
"Biography, Tasker Oddie"
.
NGA.org
. Washington, DC: National Governors Association. 2020
. Retrieved
September 6,
2023
.
- ^
Evans, K. J. (February 7, 1999).
"C.P. Squires"
.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
. Las Vegas, NV.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Saint Marks Chapel Font ? Tasker Oddie"
.
Saint-Marks.com
. Palo Alto, CA: St. Marks Episcopal Church. 2021
. Retrieved
September 6,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Joint Committee On Printing, United States Congress (2006).
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005
. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 1671?1672.
ISBN
978-0-1607-3176-1
– via
Google Books
.
- ^
a
b
"Tasker Oddie Dies In San Francisco"
.
Nevada State Journal
. Reno, NV. February 18, 1950. p. 12 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
"Rites Held Here for Tasker Oddie"
.
Nevada State Journal
. Reno, NV. September 10, 1950. p. 17 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Malone, George W.
(February 23, 1950).
"Tasker L. Oddie, of Nevada"
.
Congressional Record
. Vol. 96?Part 2. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 2262 – via
Google Books
.
- ^
Martinez, Sydney (5 April 2023).
"Goldfield: The Old West Lives in Nevada's Best Ghost Town"
.
Nevada Ghost Towns
. Reno, NV: Finding Nevada Wild
. Retrieved
September 7,
2023
.
- ^
"National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form ? Uri B. Curtis House?Tasker L. Oddie House"
(PDF)
.
Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
. Washington, DC: United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 1980. p. 4
. Retrieved
September 7,
2023
.
- ^
"Married Today At Carson"
.
Reno Evening Gazette
. Reno, NV. December 2, 1903. p. 5 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
"Divorce Granted to T. L. Oddie"
.
The Central Nevadan
. Battle Mountain, NV. November 24, 1904. p. 3 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
"Former Governor Weds Society Leader of Los Angeles"
.
Reno Evening Gazette
. Reno, NV. November 30, 1916. p. 1 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
a
b
"Tasker Oddie Dies In San Francisco"
.
Nevada State Journal
. Reno, NV. February 18, 1950. p. 12 – via
Newspapers.com
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Post Office and Post Roads
(1816–1947)
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Civil Service and Retrenchment
(1873–1921)
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Civil Service
(1921–1947)
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Post Office and Civil Service
(1947–1977)
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International
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National
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People
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Other
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