James D. Phelan
| James D. Phelan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from California | |
| In office March 4, 1915 – March 4, 1921 | |
| Preceded by | George Clement Perkins |
| Succeeded by | Samuel M. Shortridge |
| 25th Mayor of San Francisco | |
| In office January 4, 1897 – January 7, 1902 | |
| Preceded by | Adolph Sutro |
| Succeeded by | Eugene Schmitz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 20, 1861 San Francisco |
| Died | August 7, 1930 (aged 69) Saratoga, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | St. Ignatius University University of California-Berkeley |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
James Duval Phelan (April 20, 1861 – August 7, 1930) was an American politician, civic leader and banker. He represented California in the United States Senate from 1915 to 1921.
Early years
Phelan was born in San Francisco, the son of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy during the California Gold Rush as a trader, merchant and banker. He graduated from St. Ignatius College in 1881.
Career
He studied law at the University of California, Berkeley and then became a banker. He was elected Mayor of San Francisco and served from 1897 until 1902. He pushed for the reform City Charter of 1898 in San Francisco. He served as the first president of the League of California Cities, which was created in 1898.[1]
Water and land rights
In the 1900s, Phelan bought land and water acreage in various places around the San Francisco Bay Area, and he obtained the rights to the water flow of the Tuolumne River in Hetch Hetchy Valley. Ethan A. Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior under President Theodore Roosevelt, tried to stop Phelan, but Roosevelt decided that the wild area could be used for "the permanent material development of the region."[2] Phelan's plans for the region included publicly funded water and electricity for a geographical entity he called "Greater San Francisco."[2] With his Bohemian Club fellows, Phelan sought to annex land at the perimeter of San Francisco Bay.[2]
Earthquake recovery efforts
During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake Phelan was a member of the Committee of Fifty, called into existence by Mayor Schmitz to manage the crisis. Afterward, when Dr. Edward Thomas Devine, representing the American Red Cross by appointment of President Roosevelt, was responsible for Relief and Red Cross Funds, ex-Mayor Phelan was allowed to assist Devine, thus keeping the money out of the hands of Schmitz and Abe Ruef. Phelan became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds when Dr. Devine was relieved of his post in July 1906.
U.S. Senate
As a Democrat, Phelan ran for the U.S. Senate against Republican Joseph R. Knowland and Progressive Francis J. Heney. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1914 and served from March 4, 1915, to March 3, 1921. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1920, defeated by Republican Samuel M. Shortridge, coming in second with 40% of the vote. His defeat may have been the result of his racially tinged campaign; one of his re-election campaign posters contained the headline "Keep California White." (This poster is displayed at the Japanese American National Museum). During his time in the Senate, he was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Railroads during the 64th Congress and of the U.S. Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands during the 65th Congress.
Later life
After his time in the Senate, Phelan returned to banking and collected art. He died at his country estate Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, California in 1930. He is buried in the family mausoleum in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, San Mateo County, California.
Legacy
- After Phelan's death, the Villa Montalvo estate was given to the people of Santa Clara County. It is now a center for the performing and visual arts. Some of his mementos and correspondence are on display in the library at Villa Montalvo.
- Phelan Avenue in San Francisco is named for him.
- Phelan Hall, a dormitory on the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco campus, is named for Phelan, who graduated from USF's predecessor institution, St. Ignatius College.
- The small town of Phelan in the Californian High Desert of the Mojave Desert is named after him.
- James D. Phelan Elementary School in the Moreland School District in San Jose, California, was named for him.
- The James D. Phelan awards, given to young California writers and artists, were established by a bequest in his will.[3]
See also
- John P. Irish, who opposed Phelan over the latter's anti-Japanese proposals
References
- ↑ Mission & History
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brechin, Gray. WRCA News, October 2000, Volume 7, Number 3. Populist Rhetoric, Private Gain. Retrieved on July 2, 2009.
- ↑ "Judges announced in Phelan contest". Berkeley Daily Gazette. January 18, 1935. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- Gordon Thomas & Max Morgan Witts: The San Francisco Earthquake (Stein and Day, New York; Souvenir Press, London, 1971; reprinted Dell, 1972, SBN 440-07631)
External links
- Guide to the James D. Phelan Papers at The Bancroft Library
- James D. Phelan Photograph Albums, 1902-1929 at The Bancroft Library
- Montalvo Arts Center
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