72nd United States Congress
72nd United States Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Seventy-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 to March 4, 1933, during the last two years of Herbert C. Hoover's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the Thirteenth Decennial Census of the United States in 1910. The Senate had a Republican majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- Ongoing: Great Depression
- January 12, 1932: Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman elected to the United States Senate. (Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia had been appointed to fill a vacancy in 1922; the 87-year-old Felton served one day as a Senator.) Caraway had won a special election to fill the remaining months of the term of her late husband, Senator Thaddeus Caraway. She won re-election to a full term in 1932 and again in 1938 and served in the Senate until January 1945.[1]
- July 28, 1932: Bonus Army was dispersed.
- November 8, 1932: United States elections, 1932:
- United States presidential election, 1932: Incumbent Republicans Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis lost to Democrats Franklin Roosevelt as President, and John Nance Garner as Vice President.
- United States Senate elections, 1932: Democrats gained 12 seats for a 59–36 majority.
- United States House of Representatives elections, 1932: Democrats gained 97 seats for a 313–117 majority.
Major legislation
- January 22, 1932: Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, Sess. 1, ch. 8, 47 Stat. 5
- March 23, 1932: Norris-LaGuardia Act, Sess. 1, ch. 90, 47 Stat. 70
- June 6, 1932: Revenue Act of 1932, Sess. 1, ch. 209, 47 Stat. 169
- July 22, 1932: Federal Home Loan Bank Act, Sess. 1, ch. 522, 47 Stat. 725
- March 3, 1933: Buy American Act, Sess. 2, ch. 212, title III, 47 Stat. 1520
Not enacted
- Patman Bonus Bill
Constitutional amendments
- February 20, 1933: 21st Amendment, to repeal prohibition, was proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.
Party summary
The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.
Senate
Party (Shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) |
Farmer-Labor (FL) | Republican (R) | |||
End of the previous congress | 41 | 1 | 54 | 96 | 0 |
Begin | 46 | 1 | 48 | 95 | 1 |
End | |||||
Final voting share | 48.4% | 1.1% | 50.5% | ||
Beginning of the next congress | 59 | 1 | 36 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Farmer-Labor | Republican | Vacant | ||
End of previous Congress | 164 | 1 | 269 | 435 | 1 |
Begin | 215 | 1 | 218 | 434 | 1 |
March 16, 1931 | 214 | 433 | 2 | ||
May 12, 1931 | 215 | 434 | 1 | ||
May 26, 1931 | 217 | 433 | 2 | ||
May 29, 1931 | 214 | 432 | 3 | ||
July 4, 1931 | 216 | 431 | 4 | ||
July 13, 1931 | 213 | 430 | 5 | ||
July 18, 1931 | 215 | 429 | 6 | ||
July 28, 1931 | 212 | 428 | 7 | ||
August 9, 1931 | 1 | 214 | 429 | 8 | |
September 9, 1931 | 213 | 428 | 7 | ||
September 29, 1931 | 214 | 214 | 429 | 6 | |
October 13, 1931 | 215 | 430 | 5 | ||
October 18, 1931 | 214 | 429 | 6 | ||
October 22, 1931 | 214 | 213 | 428 | 7 | |
November 3, 1931 | 217 | 215 | 433 | 2 | |
November 6, 1931 | 214 | 432 | 3 | ||
November 24, 1931 | 218 | 433 | 2 | ||
December 1, 1931 Beginning of first session |
219 | 1 | 214 | 434 | 1 |
January 5, 1932 | 220 | 435 | 0 | ||
January 29, 1932 | 213 | 434 | 1 | ||
February 4, 1932 | 218 | 432 | 3 | ||
March 2, 1932 | 219 | 433 | 2 | ||
March 15, 1932 | 220 | 434 | 1 | ||
April 1, 1932 | 212 | 433 | 2 | ||
April 5, 1932 | 221 | 211 | |||
April 21, 1932 | 210 | 432 | 3 | ||
April 26, 1932 | 211 | 433 | 2 | ||
May 31, 1932 | 210 | 432 | 3 | ||
June 14, 1932 | 220 | 431 | 4 | ||
July 23, 1932 | 219 | 430 | 5 | ||
August 14, 1932 | 220 | 1 | 431 | 4 | |
October 5, 1932 | 219 | 430 | 5 | ||
October 7, 1932 | 218 | 429 | 6 | ||
November 6, 1932 | 217 | 428 | 7 | ||
November 8, 1932 | 220 | 212 | 433 | 2 | |
November 29, 1932 | 211 | 432 | 3 | ||
December 3, 1932 | 210 | 431 | 4 | ||
December 13, 1932 | 219 | 430 | 5 | ||
January 7, 1933 | 209 | 429 | 6 | ||
January 8, 1933 | 208 | 428 | 7 | ||
January 28, 1933 | 220 | 429 | 6 | ||
February 16, 1933 | 207 | 428 | 7 | ||
Final voting share | 51.4% | 0.2% | 48.4% | ||
Non-voting members | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Beginning of next Congress | 256 | 1 | 178 | 434 | 1 |
Leadership
Senate
Majority (Republican)
Minority (Democratic)
House of Representatives
Republican Nicholas Longworth had served as Speaker in the previous Congress. He would have been re-elected as Speaker in this Congress had the House convened in March 1931, when Republicans had a tiny 3-seat majority. By December 7, 1931, when the first session of the Congress began, Democrats gained enough seats through deaths and special elections to take control and elect one of their own as Speaker. Longworth himself died on April 9, 1931, during this time between the beginning of the Congress and its first session.
- Speaker: John N. Garner (D)
Majority (Democratic)
Minority (Republican)
Members
This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed in order of seniority, and Representatives are listed by district.
Senate
Senators were elected every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1934; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1936; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1932.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.
Changes in membership
Senate
- Replacements: 8
- No net gains for either party
- Deaths: 6
- Resignations: 3
- Interim appointments: 4
- Total seats with changes: 11
State | Senator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of Successor's Installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Louisiana (2) |
Vacant | Long chose to remain as Governor of Louisiana until term expired. | Huey Long (D) | January 25, 1932 |
Vermont (3) |
Frank C. Partridge (R) | Resigned March 31, 1931 after successor was elected. | Warren Austin (R) | April 1, 1931 |
New Jersey (2) |
Dwight Morrow (R) | Died October 5, 1931. Successor was appointed and later elected. |
William W. Barbour (R) | December 1, 1931 |
Arkansas (3) |
Thaddeus H. Caraway (D) | Died November 6, 1931. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election, and was subsequently elected. |
Hattie Caraway (D) | November 13, 1931 |
Georgia (2) |
William J. Harris (D) | Died April 18, 1932. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
John S. Cohen (D) | April 25, 1932 |
Colorado (3) |
Charles W. Waterman (R) | Died August 27, 1932. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
Walter Walker (D) | September 16, 1932 |
Washington (3) |
Wesley L. Jones (R) | Died November 19, 1932. Successor was appointed to serve until the next election. |
Elijah S. Grammer (R) | November 22, 1932 |
North Carolina (3) |
Cameron A. Morrison (D) | Served until December 4, 1932, when the successor was elected. | Robert R Reynolds (D) | December 5, 1932 |
Colorado (3) |
Walter Walker (D) | Resigned December 6, 1932, when the successor was elected. | Karl C. Schuyler (R) | December 7, 1932 |
Georgia (2) |
John S. Cohen (D) | Resigned January 11, 1933, when the successor was elected. | Richard Russell, Jr. (D) | January 12, 1933 |
Missouri (3) |
Harry B. Hawes (D) | Resigned February 3, 1933. Successor was appointed early after having been elected. |
Bennett Champ Clark (D) | December 7, 1932 |
Montana (2) |
Thomas J. Walsh (D) | Died March 2, 1933 Seat remained vacant until next Congress |
Vacant |
House of Representatives
- replacements: 23
- Democratic: 6 seat net gain
- Republican: 6 seat net loss
- Deaths: 24
- Resignations: 7
- Contested election: 1
- Total seats with changes: 32
District | Vacator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of successor's installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wisconsin 1st | Vacant | Representative Henry A. Cooper (R) died in previous congress. | Thomas R. Amlie (R) | October 13, 1931 |
Louisiana 8th | James B. Aswell (D) | Died March 16, 1931. | John H. Overton (D) | May 12, 1931 |
New York 7th | Matthew V. O'Malley (R) | Representative-elect died May 26, 1931. | John J. Delaney (D) | November 3, 1931 |
Ohio 20th | Charles A. Mooney (D) | Died May 29, 1931. | Martin L. Sweeney (D) | November 3, 1931 |
Pennsylvania 2nd | George S. Graham (R) | Died July 4, 1931. | Edward L. Stokes (R) | November 3, 1931 |
Georgia 1st | Charles G. Edwards (D) | Died July 13, 1931. | Homer C. Parker (D) | September 9, 1931 |
Michigan 8th | Bird J. Vincent (R) | Died July 18, 1931. | Michael J. Hart (D) | November 3, 1931 |
Missouri 7th | Samuel C. Major (D) | Died July 28, 1931. | Robert D. Johnson (D) | September 29, 1931 |
Ohio 1st | Nicholas Longworth (R) | Speaker of the House died August 9, 1931. | John B. Hollister (R) | November 3, 1931 |
New Jersey 5th | Ernest R. Ackerman (R) | Died October 18, 1931. | Percy H. Stewart (D) | December 1, 1931 |
New Hampshire 1st | Fletcher Hale (R) | Died October 22, 1931. | William N. Rogers (D) | January 5, 1932 |
Texas 14th | Harry M. Wurzbach (R) | Died November 6, 1931. | Richard M. Kleberg (D) | November 24, 1931 |
Pennsylvania 20th | James R. Leech (R) | Resigned January 29, 1932 to become a member of the United States Board of Tax Appeals | Howard W. Stull (R) | April 26, 1932 |
Mississippi 7th | Percy Quin (D) | Died February 4, 1932. | Lawrence R. Ellzey (D) | March 15, 1932 |
Georgia 6th | Samuel Rutherford (D) | Died February 4, 1932. | Carlton Mobley (D) | March 2, 1932 |
Indiana 8th | Albert H. Vestal (R) | Died April 1, 1932. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Illinois 8th | Peter C. Granata (R) | Lost contested election April 5, 1932 | Stanley H. Kunz (D) | April 5, 1932 |
Puerto Rico At-large | Félix Córdova Dávila | resigned April 11, 1932 to become Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico | José Lorenzo Pesquera | April 15, 1932 |
Pennsylvania 18th | Edward M. Beers (R) | Died April 21, 1932. | Joseph F. Biddle (R) | November 8, 1932 |
Pennsylvania 6th | George A. Welsh (R) | Resigned May 31, 1932 to become judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | Robert L. Davis (R) | November 8, 1932 |
Tennessee 7th | Edward E. Eslick (D) | Died June 14, 1932. | Willa McCord Blake Eslick (D) | August 14, 1932 |
Virginia 10th | Henry St. George Tucker III (D) | Died July 23, 1932. | Joel W. Flood (D) | November 8, 1932 |
Maryland 4th | J. Charles Linthicum (D) | Died October 5, 1932. | Ambrose J. Kennedy (D) | November 8, 1932 |
Georgia 3rd | Charles R. Crisp (D) | Resigned October 7, 1932 to become a member of the US Tariff Commission | Bryant T. Castellow (D) | November 8, 1932 |
Illinois 22nd | Charles A. Karch (D) | Resigned November 6, 1932 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Michigan 9th | James C. McLaughlin (R) | Died November 29, 1932. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Connecticut 3rd | John Q. Tilson (R) | Resigned December 3, 1932 | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Texas 8th | Daniel E. Garrett (D) | Died December 13, 1932. | Joe H. Eagle (D) | January 28, 1933 |
Oregon 2nd | Robert R. Butler (R) | Died January 7, 1933. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Pennsylvania 24th | Samuel A. Kendall (R) | Died January 8, 1933. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. | |
Minnesota 10th | Godfrey G. Goodwin (R) | Died February 16, 1933. | Seat remained vacant until next Congress. |
Employees
Senate
- Chaplain: ZeBarney T. Phillips (Episcopalian)
- Secretary: Edwin P. Thayer
- Sergeant at Arms: David S. Barry
- Democratic Party Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
- Republican Party Secretary: Carl A. Loeffler
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: James S. Montgomery (Methodist)
- Clerk: South Trimble
- Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
- Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
References
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
External links
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives: House History
- U.S. Senate: Statistics and Lists
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