The 62nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1911, to March 4, 1913, during the final two years of William H. Taft's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1900 United States census. Additional House seats were assigned to the two new states of New Mexico and Arizona. The size of the House was to be 435 starting with the new Congress coming into session in 1913. The Senate had a Republican majority, and the House flipped into a Democratic majority. This change of control ended the 14-year-long Republican government trifecta that began in the 55th Congress, one of only two trifectas that lasted longer than a decade.
Major events
April 27, 1911: Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore of the United States Senate. October 30, 1912: Vice President James S. Sherman died. It is the most recent time a vice president has died in office.
Major legislation
August 8, 1911: Public Law 62-5, (set House of Representatives size at 435 members) August 24, 1912: Lloyd–La Follette Act, ch. 389, § 6, February 13, 1913: Carlin Act March 1, 1913: Webb–Kenyon Act March 1, 1913: Railway Evaluation Act March 3, 1913: Publicity In Taking Evidence Act March 3, 1913: Virus-Serum-Toxin Act March 3, 1913: Gould Amendment March 4, 1913: Arlington Memorial Amphitheater Act March 4, 1913: Road and Trails Fund Act March 4, 1913: Burnett Act March 4, 1913: Weeks–McLean Act March 4, 1913: Federal Revenue Sharing Act March 4, 1913: Rivers and Harbors Act of 1913 March 4, 1913: Burnt Timber Act March 4, 1913: Labor Department Act,
Constitutional amendments May 13, 1912: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution establishing the popular election of United States senators by the people of the states, and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification Amendment was later ratified on April 8, 1913, becoming the seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution February 3, 1913: Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states (then 36) to become part of the Constitution
States admitted and territories created January 6, 1912: New Mexico admitted to the Union. February 14, 1912: Arizona admitted to the Union August 24, 1912: Alaska Territory created.
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leaders
Senate
President: James S. Sherman (R), until October 30, 1912; thereafter vacant Presidents pro tempore: William P. Frye (R), until April 27, 1911. For the remainder of this Congress, the office rotated among five senators. The Senate at that time was split between progressive Republicans, conservative Republicans, and Democrats. Each put forth a candidate, and the ballots were deadlocked until August 1911 when a compromise was reached. Democrat Augustus Bacon served for one day on August 14, 1911, and thereafter he and four Republicans rotated holding the seat for the remainder of the Congress. These Republicans were: Charles Curtis, Jacob H. Gallinger, Frank B. Brandegee, and Henry Cabot Lodge. Republican Conference Chairman: Shelby Moore Cullom Democratic Caucus Chairman: Thomas S. Martin Republican Conference Secretary: Charles Curtis Democratic Caucus Secretary: William E. Chilton
House of Representatives Speaker: Champ Clark (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership Majority Leader: Oscar Underwood Majority Whip: vacant Democratic Caucus Chairman: Albert S. Burleson Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James Tilghman Lloyd
Minority (Republican) leadership Minority Leader: James R. Mann Minority Whip: John W. Dwight Republican Conference Chairman: Frank Dunklee Currier
Members
Skip to House of Representatives, below
Senate
At this time, most senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. A few senators were elected directly by the residents of the state. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election, In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1912; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1914; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1916.
Alabama 2. John H. Bankhead (D) 3. Joseph F. Johnston (D)
Arizona 1. Henry F. Ashurst (D), from April 2, 1912 3. Marcus A. Smith (D), from April 2, 1912
Arkansas 2. Jeff Davis (D), until January 3, 1913 John N. Heiskell (D), January 6, 1913 – January 29, 1913 William M. Kavanaugh (D), from January 29, 1913 3. James P. Clarke (D)
California 1. John D. Works (R) 3. George C. Perkins (R)
Colorado 2. Simon Guggenheim (R) 3. Charles S. Thomas (D), from January 15, 1913
Connecticut 1. George P. McLean (R) 3. Frank B. Brandegee (R)
Delaware 1. Henry A. du Pont (R) 2. Harry A. Richardson (R)
Florida 1. Nathan P. Bryan (D) 3. Duncan U. Fletcher (D)
Georgia 2. Augustus O. Bacon (D) 3. Joseph M. Terrell (D), until July 14, 1911 Hoke Smith (D), from November 16, 1911
Idaho 2. William E. Borah (R) 3. Weldon B. Heyburn (R), until October 17, 1912 Kirtland I. Perky (D), November 18, 1912 – February 5, 1913 James H. Brady (R), from February 6, 1913
Illinois 2. Shelby M. Cullom (R) 3. William Lorimer (R), until July 13, 1912
Indiana 1. John W. Kern (D) 3. Benjamin F. Shively (D)
Iowa 2. Lafayette Young (R), until April 11, 1911 William S. Kenyon (R), from April 12, 1911 3. Albert B. Cummins (R)
Kansas 2. Charles Curtis (R) 3. Joseph L. Bristow (R)
Kentucky 2. Thomas H. Paynter (D) 3. William O. Bradley (R)
Louisiana 2. Murphy J. Foster (D) 3. John Thornton (D)
Maine 1. Charles Fletcher Johnson (D) 2. William P. Frye (R), until August 8, 1911 Obadiah Gardner (D), from September 23, 1911
Maryland 1. Isidor Rayner (D), until November 25, 1912 William P. Jackson (R), from November 29, 1912 3. John W. Smith (D)
Massachusetts 1. Henry Cabot Lodge (R) 2. Winthrop M. Crane (R)
Michigan 1. Charles E. Townsend (R) 2. William Alden Smith (R)
Minnesota 1. Moses E. Clapp (R) 2. Knute Nelson (R)
Mississippi 1. John Sharp Williams (D) 2. LeRoy Percy (D)
Missouri 1. James A. Reed (D) 3. William J. Stone (D)
Montana 1. Henry L. Myers (D) 2. Joseph M. Dixon (R)
Nebraska 1. Gilbert M. Hitchcock (D) 2. Norris Brown (R)
Nevada 1. George S. Nixon (R), until June 5, 1912 William A. Massey (R), July 1, 1912 – January 29, 1913 Key Pittman (D), from January 29, 1913 3. Francis G. Newlands (D)
New Hampshire 2. Henry E. Burnham (R) 3. Jacob H. Gallinger (R)
New Jersey 1. James E. Martine (D) 2. Frank O. Briggs (R)
New Mexico 1. Thomas B. Catron (R), from April 2, 1912 2. Albert B. Fall (R), from April 2, 1912
New York 1. James A. O'Gorman (D), from April 4, 1911 3. Elihu A. Root (R)
North Carolina 2. Furnifold M. Simmons (D) 3. Lee S. Overman (D)
North Dakota 1. Porter J. McCumber (R) 3. Asle J. Gronna (R)
Ohio 1. Atlee Pomerene (D) 3. Theodore E. Burton (R)
Oklahoma 2. Robert L. Owen (D) 3. Thomas P. Gore (D)
Oregon 2. Jonathan Bourne Jr. (R) 3. George E. Chamberlain (D)
Pennsylvania 1. George T. Oliver (R) 3. Boies Penrose (R)
Rhode Island 1. Henry F. Lippitt (R) 2. George P. Wetmore (R)
South Carolina 2. Benjamin R. Tillman (D) 3. Ellison D. Smith (D)
South Dakota 2. Robert J. Gamble (R) 3. Coe I. Crawford (R)
Tennessee 1. Luke Lea (D) 2. Robert L. Taylor (D), until March 31, 1912 Newell Sanders (R), April 11, 1912 – January 24, 1913 William R. Webb (D), from January 24, 1913
Texas 1. Charles A. Culberson (D) 2. Joseph W. Bailey (D), until January 3, 1913 Rienzi M. Johnston (D), January 4, 1913 – January 29, 1913 Morris Sheppard (D), from February 3, 1913
Utah 1. George Sutherland (R) 3. Reed Smoot (R)
Vermont 1. Carroll S. Page (R) 3. William P. Dillingham (R)
Virginia 1. Claude A. Swanson (D) 2. Thomas S. Martin (D)
Washington 1. Miles Poindexter (R) 3. Wesley L. Jones (R)
West Virginia 1. William E. Chilton (D) 2. Clarence W. Watson (D)
Wisconsin 1. Robert M. La Follette Sr. (R) 3. Isaac Stephenson (R)
Wyoming 1. Clarence D. Clark (R) 2. Francis E. Warren (R)
House of Representatives
The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Alabama . George W. Taylor (D) . S. Hubert Dent Jr. (D) . Henry D. Clayton (D) . Fred L. Blackmon (D) . J. Thomas Heflin (D) . Richmond P. Hobson (D) . John L. Burnett (D) . William N. Richardson (D) . Oscar Underwood (D)
Arizona . Carl Hayden (D), from February 19, 1912
Arkansas . Robert B. Macon (D) . William A. Oldfield (D) . John C. Floyd (D) . William B. Cravens (D) . Henderson M. Jacoway (D) . Joseph Taylor Robinson (D), until January 14, 1913 Samuel M. Taylor (D), from January 15, 1913 . William S. Goodwin (D)
California . John E. Raker (D) . William Kent (R) . Joseph R. Knowland (R) . Julius Kahn (R) . Everis A. Hayes (R) . James C. Needham (R) . William Stephens (R) . Sylvester C. Smith (R), until January 26, 1913
Colorado . Atterson Walden Rucker (D) . John A. Martin (D) . Edward T. Taylor (D)
Connecticut . E. Stevens Henry (R) . Thomas L. Reilly (D) . Edwin W. Higgins (R) . Ebenezer J. Hill (R) . John Q. Tilson (R)
Delaware . William H. Heald (R)
Florida . Stephen M. Sparkman (D) . Frank Clark (D) . Dannite H. Mays (D)
Georgia . Charles G. Edwards (D) . Seaborn Roddenbery (D) . Dudley M. Hughes (D) . William C. Adamson (D) . William S. Howard (D) . Charles L. Bartlett (D) . Gordon Lee (D) . Samuel J. Tribble (D) . Thomas Montgomery Bell (D) . Thomas W. Hardwick (D) . William G. Brantley (D)
Idaho . Burton L. French (R)
Illinois . Martin B. Madden (R) . James R. Mann (R) . William W. Wilson (R) . James T. McDermott (D) . Adolph J. Sabath (D) . Edmund J. Stack (D) . Frank Buchanan (D) . Thomas Gallagher (D) . Lynden Evans (D) . George E. Foss (R) . Ira C. Copley (R) . Charles Eugene Fuller (R) . John C. McKenzie (R) . James McKinney (R) . George W. Prince (R) . Claude U. Stone (D) . John A. Sterling (R) . Joseph G. Cannon (R) . William B. McKinley (R) . Henry T. Rainey (D) . James M. Graham (D) . William A. Rodenberg (R) . Martin D. Foster (D) . H. Robert Fowler (D) . Napoleon B. Thistlewood (R)
Indiana . John W. Boehne (D) . William A. Cullop (D) . William E. Cox (D) . Lincoln Dixon (D) . Ralph Wilbur Moss (D) . Finly H. Gray (D) . Charles A. Korbly (D) . John A. M. Adair (D) . Martin A. Morrison (D) . Edgar D. Crumpacker (R) . George W. Rauch (D) . Cyrus Cline (D) . Henry A. Barnhart (D)
Iowa . Charles A. Kennedy (R) . Irvin S. Pepper (D) . Charles E. Pickett (R) . Gilbert N. Haugen (R) . James W. Good (R) . Nathan E. Kendall (R) . Solomon F. Prouty (R) . Horace M. Towner (R) . Walter I. Smith (R), until March 15, 1911 William R. Green (R), from June 5, 1911 . Frank P. Woods (R) . Elbert H. Hubbard (R), until June 4, 1912 George Cromwell Scott (R), from November 5, 1912
Kansas . Daniel Read Anthony Jr. (R) . Alexander C. Mitchell (R), until July 7, 1911 Joseph Taggart (D), from November 7, 1911 . Philip P. Campbell (R) . Fred S. Jackson (R) . Rollin R. Rees (R) . Isaac D. Young (R) . Edmond H. Madison (R), until September 18, 1911 George A. Neeley (D), from January 9, 1912 . Victor Murdock (R)
Kentucky . Ollie M. James (D) . Augustus Stanley (D) . Robert Y. Thomas Jr. (D) . Ben Johnson (D)