Johnson N. Camden, Jr.

Johnson Newlon Camden, Jr.
United States Senator from Kentucky
In office June 16, 1914 – March 4, 1915
Preceded by	William O. Bradley
Succeeded by	John C.W. Beckham
Personal details
Born	(1865-01-05)January 5, 1865 Parkersburg, West Virginia
Died	August 16, 1942(1942-08-16) (aged 77) Paris, Kentucky
Political party	Democratic
Signature

Johnson Newlon Camden, Jr. (January 5, 1865 – August 16, 1942) was a United States Senator from Kentucky. His father, Johnson N. Camden, had been a U.S. Senator from West Virginia.

Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Camden Jr. attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, Columbia Law School in New York City, and the law school at University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Although admitted to the bar in 1888, he never practiced.

Johnson N. Camden, Jr. moved to Spring Hill Farm, near Versailles, Kentucky, in 1890 and became involved in farming and Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing. He served for a time as president of the Kentucky Jockey Club. He was also interested in the opening and development of the coal fields in eastern Kentucky. He was appointed as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate on June 16, 1914 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of his predecessor, William O. Bradley.

He was elected on November 3, 1914 and served until March 3, 1915. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1914.

He went back to agricultural activities on a farm near Paris, Kentucky until he died, aged 77. He was buried in Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort.

In what is a mystery to many Johnson Camden had the University Library at then Morehead State Teachers College now Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky named for him in 1929. Johnson Camden had no ties to the school nor had ever visited.

Sources

• Johnson N. Camden, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States Senators from Kentucky Class 2 Brown Thruston Clay Bibb Walker Barry Hardin Crittenden Johnson Bibb Crittenden Morehead J. Underwood Thompson Powell Guthrie McCreery Stevenson Beck Carlisle Lindsay Blackburn Paynter James Martin Stanley Sackett Robsion Williamson M. Logan Chandler Stanfill Cooper Chapman T. Underwood Cooper Barkley Humphreys Cooper Huddleston McConnell Class 3 Edwards Marshall J. Breckinridge Adair Clay Pope Bledsoe Talbot W. Logan Talbot Rowan Clay Crittenden Metcalfe Clay Meriwether Dixon Crittenden J. C. Breckinridge Davis Machen McCreery Williams Blackburn Deboe McCreary Bradley Camden Beckham Ernst Barkley Withers Clements Morton Cook Ford Bunning Paul