George de Rue Meiklejohn (/ˈmiːkəlˌdʒɒn/; August 26, 1857 – April 19, 1929) was an American politician who served as the fifth lieutenant governor of Nebraska under Governor John Milton Thayer and as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Nebraska. He was the United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1897 to 1901.[1][2]
George de Rue Meiklejohn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Assistant Secretary of War | |
| In office 1897–1901 | |
| President | William McKinley |
| Preceded by | Joseph Doe |
| Succeeded by | William Cary Sanger |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska's 3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Omer Madison Kem |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Maxwell |
| 5th Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska | |
| In office 1889–1891 | |
| Governor | John Milton Thayer |
| Preceded by | Hibbard H. Shedd |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Jefferson Majors |
| 14th President pro tempore of the Nebraska Senate | |
| In office January 1887 – January 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Church Howe |
| Succeeded by | Church Howe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 26, 1857 Weyauwega, Wisconsin |
| Died | April 19, 1929 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh University of Michigan Law School |
| Occupation | lawyer |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
Early life and education
editde Rue Meiklejohn was born in Weyauwega, Wisconsin, on August 26, 1857. He went to the state normal school in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh).
Career
editHe became a principal of high schools in Weyauwega and Liscomb, Iowa. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1880, he was admitted to the bar and established a practice in Fullerton, Nebraska. He was the prosecuting attorney for Nance County, Nebraska, from 1881 to 1884.[1][2]
In 1884 Meiklejohn was elected a member of the Nebraska Legislature, serving from 1884 to 1888. In 1886, he became president of the Senate, in 1887 the chairman of the Republican State convention, and in 1887 and 1888 chairman of the Republican State central committee. In 1889 he became the Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska and served until 1891. He was elected as a Republican to the 53rd and 54th Congresses (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897), but did not run for re-election in 1896. On April 14, 1897, U.S. President William McKinley appointed him the Assistant Secretary of War and he served through the Spanish–American War until March 1901.[1]
Meiklejohn ran unsuccessfully for election to the United States Senate from Nebraska in 1901 to fill the seat of Monroe Hayward. After that, he resumed his law practice in Omaha, Nebraska, moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1918, where he practiced law and mining.
Personal life
editHe died in poverty at the Los Angeles County General Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on April 19, 1929.[1] He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "G. De R. Meiklejohn Dies at Age 72. Assistant Secretary of War in Administration of President McKinley. Made Poor By Liberality. Couldn't Say 'No' to Those in Distress. Often Tried Court Cases Without a Fee". The New York Times. April 20, 1929. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
George De Rue Meiklejohn, Assistant Secretary of War under President McKinley and a former Lieutenant Governor and Representative in Congress from Nebraska, who had been decorated by kings, died in a ward of the Los Angeles General Hospital last night. His age was 72.
- ^ a b c "George de Rue Meiklejohn". Political Graveyard.
also known as George D. Meiklejohn — of Fullerton, Nance County, Neb. Born in Wisconsin, 1857. Republican. Lawyer; member of Nebraska state senate, 1885–88; Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, 1889–91; U.S. Representative from Nebraska 3rd District, 1893–97. Died in 1929 (age about 72 years). Interment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Calif.
Further reading
edit- "Meiklejohn, George de Rue". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 21, 2006.
- United States Congress. "George de Rue Meiklejohn (id: M000634)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.