Homer Bone

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Homer Truett Bone (January 25, 1883–March 11, 1970) was a United States Democratic Party Senator from Washington from 1933-1944.

T-Bone, which was what his friends called him as a kid, was born in Franklin, Indiana, and his family moved to Tacoma, Washington in 1899. Bone attended law school in Tacoma and was admitted to the Bar in 1911. Bone specialized in labor law, and served as an assistant special prosecutor for Pierce County, as the Corporate Counsel for the Port of Tacoma, and as an attorney for Tacoma City Light.

In 1918, Bone married Blanche Slye. Bone ran unsuccessfully for prosecuting attorney and Mayor of Tacoma as a Socialist, and for the Third District Congressional seat as a Farmer-Labor candidate. in 1922 Bone served in the Washington State House, where he advocated for the ability of local government to form public utility districts. In 1928 Bone again ran unsuccessfully for Congress, this time as a Republican.

In 1932, Bone finally won election to the United States Senate, this time as a Democrat. Bone continued his advocacy for public owned power, and other progressive causes. Bone supported creation of the Bonneville Dam and the Grand Coulee Dam. In the war, Bone was an isolationist. Bone wrote the legislation which created the National Cancer Institute.

After serving in the Senate, Bone was appointed by Roosevelt to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where he served full time until 1956, and part time until 1968. Bone died in Tacoma in 1970.