Opentopia Directory Encyclopedia Tools

73rd United States Congress

Encyclopedia : 7 : 73 : 73R : 73rd United States Congress



 

73rd U.S. Congress
right
Duration: March 4, 1933January 3, 1935
House Majority: Democrat
Senate Majority: Democrat

The Seventy-third Congress of the United States was the 73rd meeting of the United States Congress, which took place from 1933 to 1935. All Representatives of this Congress were elected in the House election of 1932, and 34 Senators were elected in the Senate election of 1932.

The Congress took place during The Great Depression, and coincided with the first half of the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Session Dates

Two regular sessions of Congress were held, and one additional special session was called by President Roosevelt. All three took place in Washington, D.C.

Constitutional Amendments

Legislation

Special Session

The special session of Congress, which took place before the regular seating, was called by President Roosevelt specifically to pass two acts:

First Session

Second Session

Hearings

\"Merchants of Death\" hearings

Committee: U.S. Senate Committee on Munitions
Chairman: Senator Gerald P. Nye (R-North Dakota)
Duration: September 4, 1934-February 1936

The Senate Munitions Committee came into existence souly for the purpose of this hearing. Although World War I had been over for sixteen years, there were revived reports that America's leading munition companies had effectively influenced the United States into that conflict, which killed 53,000 Americans, hence the nickname "Merchants of Death".

The Democratic Party, controlling the Senate for the first time since the first world war, used the hype of these reports to organise the hearing in hopes of nationalizing America's munitions industry. The Democrats chose a Republican renowned for his ardent isolationist policies, Senator Nye of North Dakota, to head the hearing. Nye was typical of western agrarian progressives, and adamantly opposed America's involvement in any foreign war. Nye declared at the opening of the hearing "when the Senate investigation is over, we shall see that war and preparation for war is not a matter of national honor and national defense, but a matter of profit for the few."

Over the next eighteen months, the "Nye Committee" (as newspapers called it) held ninety-three hearings, questioning more than two hundred witnesses, including J.P. Morgan, Jr. and Pierre du Pont. Committee members found little hard evidence of an active conspiracy among arms makers, yet the panel’s reports did little to weaken the popular prejudice against "greedy munitions interests."

The hearings overlapped the 73rd and 74th Congresses. They only came to an end after Chairman Nye provoked the Democratic caucus into cutting off funding. Nye, in the last hearing the Committee held in early 1936, attacked former Democratic President Woodrow Wilson, suggesting that Wilson had withheld essential information from Congress as it considered a declaration of war. Democratic leaders, including Appropriations Committee Chairman Carter Glass of Virginia, unleashed a furious response against Nye for "dirtdaubing the sepulcher of Woodrow Wilson." Standing before cheering colleagues in a packed Senate chamber, Glass slammed his fist onto his desk in protest until blood dripped from his knuckles, effectively prompting the Democratic caucus to withhold all funding for further hearings.

Although the "Nye Committee" failed to achieve its goal of nationalizing the arms industry, it inspired three congressional neutrality acts in the mid-1930s that signaled profound American opposition to overseas involvement.

Party summary

Senate

At seating Total 96

At adjournment

Total 96

Changes

  1. Senator Robert B. Howell (R-Nebraska) died and was replaced by a Democrat.

House of Representatives

At seating Total 435

At adjournment

Total 435

Changes

  1. Representative Henry W. Watson (R-Pennsylvania) died and was replaced by a Democrat.
  2. Representative George F. Brumm (R-Pennsylvania) died and his seat remained vacant until the end of the session.
  3. Representative Thomas C. Coffin (D-Idaho) died and his seat remained vacant until the end of the session.
  4. Representative James M. Beck (R-Pennsylvania) resigned and his seat remained vacant until the end of the session.
  5. Representatives Gardner R. Withrow and Gerald J. Boileau (R-Wisconsin) changed to the Progressive Party.
  6. Speaker Henry T. Rainey (D-Illinois) died and his seat remained vacant until the end of the session. Likewise, a new Speaker was not elected until the next session.

Officers

Senate

|- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=|
Position Name Party State Since
President John Nance Garner Democrat Texas 1933
President Pro Tempore Key Pittman Democrat Nevada 1933

Majority leadership

|- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=|
Position Name State Since
Senate Majority Leader Joseph T. Robinson Arkansas 1933
Senate Majority Whip J. Hamilton Lewis Illinois 1933
Democratic Conference Chairman Joseph T. Robinson Arkansas 1923

Minority leadership

|- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=|
Position Name State Since
Senate Minority Leader Charles L. McNary Oregon 1933
Senate Minority Whip Felix Herbert Rhode Island 1933
Republican Conference Chairman Charles L. McNary Oregon 1933

House of Representatives

Majority Leadership

|- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=|
Position Name District Since
Speaker of the House Henry T. Rainey Illinois 20th 1933
House Majority Leader Joseph W. Byrns Tennessee 5th 1933
House Majority Whip Arthur H. Greenwood Indiana 7th 1933
Democratic Caucus Chairman Clarence F. Lea California 1st 1933

Minority Leadership

|- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=| |- |bgcolor=|
Position Name District Since
House Minority Leader Betrand H. Snell New York 31st 1931
House Minority Whip Harry L. Englebright California 2nd 1933
Republican Conference Chairman Robert Luce Massachusetts 9th 1933

Members

Senate

House of Representatives

  • 1. Lawrence Lewis (D)
  • 2. Fred N. Cummings (D)
  • 3. John A. Martin (D)
  • 4. Edward T. Taylor (D)

  • At-Large - Clarence Cannon (D)
  • At-Large - James Robert Claiborne (D)
  • At-Large - John J. Cochran (D)
  • At-Large - Clement C. Dickinson (D)
  • At-Large - Richard M. Duncan (D)
  • At-Large - Frank H. Lee (D)
  • At-Large - Ralph F. Lozier (D)
  • At-Large - Jacob L. Milligan (D)
  • At-Large - Milton A. Romjue (D)
  • At-Large - James Edward Ruffin (D)
  • At-Large - Joseph B. Shannon (D)
  • At-Large - Clyde Williams (D)
  • At-Large - Reuben T. Wood (D)

  • 1. Francis B. Condon (D)
  • 2. John M. O'Connell (D)

  • 1. Thomas S. McMillan (D)
  • 2. Hampton P. Fulmer (D)
  • 3. John Clarence Taylor (D)
  • 4. John J. McSwain (D)
  • 5. James P. Richards (D)
  • 6. Allard H. Gasque (D)

  • At Large - Vincent Carter (R)

Changes in Membership

Senate

Senator State Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation
Robert H. Howell Nebraska Died March 11, 1933 William H. Thompson May 24, 1933
Sam G. Bratton New Mexico Resigned June 24, 1933 Carl Hatch November 6, 1934
Porter H. Dale Vermont Died October 6, 1933 Ernest W. Gibson October 19, 1933
John B. Kendrick Wyoming Died November 3, 1933 Joseph C. O'Mahoney January 1, 1934
William H. Thompson Nebraska Duly elected successor qualified on November 6, 1934 Richard C. Hunter November 7, 1934
John E. Erikson Montana Duly elected successor qualified on November 6, 1934 James E. Murray November 7, 1934

House of Representatives

Representative District Reason for Vacancy Successor Date of Successor's Installation
John Nance Garner Texas 15th Resigned March 4, 1933 having become Vice President Milton H. West April 22, 1933
Lewis W. Douglas Resigned March 4, 1933 to accept a Presidential appointment Isabella Selmes Greenway October 3, 1933
Clay Stone Briggs Texas 7th Died April 29, 1933 Clark W. Thompson June 24, 1933
Heartsill Ragon Arkansas 5th Resigned May 12, 1933 David D. Terry December 19, 1933
Charles H. Brand Georgia 10th Died May 17, 1933 Paul Brown July 5, 1933
Bolivar E. Kemp Louisiana 6th Died June 19, 1933 Jared Y. Sanders, Jr. May 1, 1934
Edward B. Almon Alabama 8th Died June 22, 1933 Archibald Hill Carmichael November 14, 1933
Henry W. Watson Pennsylvania 9th Died August 27, 1933 Oliver Walter Frey November 7, 1933
Lynn Hornor West Virginia 3rd Died September 23, 1933 Andrew Edmiston, Jr. November 28, 1933
Ernest W. Gibson Vermont At Large Elevated to the Senate October 19, 1933 Charles A. Plumley January 16, 1934
James S. Parker New York 34th Died November 5, 1933 Marion W. Clarke December 28, 1933
John D. Clarke New York 29th Died December 19, 1933 William D. Thomas January 30, 1934
Edward W. Pou North Carolina 4th Died April 1, 1934 Harold D. Cooley July 7, 1934
George F. Brumm Pennsylvania 13th Died May 29, 1934 James H. Gildea January 4, 1935
Thomas C. Coffin Idaho 2nd Died June 8, 1934 D. Worth Clark January 4, 1935
Henry T. Rainey Illinois 20th Died August 19, 1934 Scott W. Lucas January 4, 1935
James M. Beck Pennsylvania 2nd Resigned September 30, 1934 William H. Wilson January 4, 1935

Employees

Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn

Senate

House of Representatives

List of United States Congresses (and years begun)
1st United States Congress>1 (1789) • 2 (1791)3 (1793)4 (1795)5 (1797)6 (1799)7 (1801)8 (1803)9 (1805)10 (1807)
11 (1809)12 (1811)13 (1813)14 (1815)15 (1817)16 (1819)17 (1821)18 (1823)19 (1825)20 (1827)
21 (1829)22 (1831)23 (1833)24 (1835)25 (1837)26 (1839)27 (1841)28 (1843)29 (1845)30 (1847)
31 (1849)32 (1851)33 (1853)34 (1855)35 (1857)36 (1859)37 (1861)38 (1863)39 (1865)40 (1867)
41 (1869)42 (1871)43 (1873)44 (1875)45 (1877)46 (1879)47 (1881)48 (1883)49 (1885)50 (1887)
51 (1889)52 (1891)53 (1893)54 (1895)55 (1897)56 (1899)57 (1901)58 (1903)59 (1905)60 (1907)
61 (1909)62 (1911)63 (1913)64 (1915)65 (1917)66 (1919)67 (1921)68 (1923)69 (1925)70 (1927)
71 (1929)72 (1931)73 (1933)74 (1935)75 (1937)76 (1939)77 (1941)78 (1943)79 (1945)80 (1947)
81 (1949)82 (1951)83 (1953)84 (1955)85 (1957)86 (1959)87 (1961)88 (1963)89 (1965)90 (1967)
91 (1969)92 (1971)93 (1973)94 (1975)95 (1977)96 (1979)97 (1981)98 (1983)99 (1985)100 (1987)
101 (1989)102 (1991)103 (1993)104 (1995)105 (1997)106 (1999)107 (2001)108 (2003)109 (2005) • 110 (2007)
111 (2009)112 (2011)113 (2013)
United States Congress(House of Representatives, Senate)
Members House: Current, Former, Districts | Senate: Current, Former, Current & Former by state
Groups African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans list, Caucuses, Committees, Demographics
House: Committees  | Senate: Committees, Women list
Leaders House: Speaker, Majority leader, Minority leader, Dem. leader, Rep. leader, Majority whip, Minority whip, Dem. whip, Rep. whip, Dem. caucus, Rep. conference, Dean
Senate: President pro tempore (list), Majority and Minority leaders, Dem. Leader, Rep. Leader, Majority whip, Minority whip, Dem. Caucus (Chair, Secretary, Policy comm. chair), Rep. Conference (Chair, Secretary, Policy comm. chair), Dean
Agencies & Employees Architect of the Capitol, Capitol guide service (board), Capitol police (board), Government Printing Office, Law Revision Counsel, Librarian of Congress, Poet laureate
House: Chaplain, Clerk, Doorkeeper, Historian, Page, Parliamentarian, Postmaster, Reading clerk, Sergeant at Arms
Senate: Chaplain, Curator, Page, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Sergeant at Arms
Politics & Procedure Act of Congress (list), Caucuses, Committees, Joint session, Delegations' partisan mix
House: Committees  | Senate: Committees, Filibuster, Traditions, Vice Presidents' tie-breaking votes
Buildings Capitol Complex, Capitol, Botanic Garden
House: Cannon, Ford, Longworth, O'Neill, Rayburn | Senate: Dirksen, Hart, Russell
Research Biographical directory, Congressional Quarterly, Congressional Record, Congressional Research Service,
Federal depository library, Library of Congress, The Hill, Roll Call, THOMAS

 


From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.


Search Titles
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJ
KLMNOPQRST
UVWXYZ?

E-mail this article to:

Personal Message: