Key Denson Pittman (September 19, 1872 – November 10, 1940) was a
United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
from
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
and a member of the
Democratic Party, serving eventually as
president pro tempore
A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase '' pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...
as well as chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee.
Biography
Early years
Pittman was born in
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856.
Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vi ...
on September 12, 1872, a son of William Buckner Pittman and Katherine Key Pittman. His siblings included a younger brother
Vail
Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numer ...
, who served as
Governor of Nevada.
Pittman was educated by private tutors and at the
Southwestern Presbyterian University
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colle ...
in
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 202 ...
. He studied law, then later became a lawyer. In 1897, Pittman joined in the
Klondike Gold Rush and worked as a miner until 1901.
Pittman moved to
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah ( , Shoshoni language: Tonampaa) is an unincorporated town in, and the county seat of, Nye County, Nevada, United States. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95, approximately midway between Las Vegas and Reno. In th ...
, in 1902 and continued the practice of law. He represented Nevada at the
St. Louis Exposition, the
Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portlan ...
, and the
National Irrigation Congress.
Political career
In 1910, he made an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Later, he was elected as a
Democrat to the Senate in 1913 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
George S. Nixon
George Stuart Nixon (April 2, 1860 – June 5, 1912) was an American who served as a member of the United States Senate from Nevada.
Early life
He was born in Newcastle, California. He went to work for a railroad company and studied telegraphy ...
, and served until his own death in 1940.
Between 1933 and 1940, during the
Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Pittman was the chairman of the powerful
Committee on Foreign Relations
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid p ...
and a member of the Committee on Territories and the
Committee on Industrial Expositions. In addition, during those years Pittman was also
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
The president pro tempore of the United States Senate (often shortened to president pro tem) is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. According to Article One, Section Three of the United S ...
.
Among his legislation is the
Pittman–Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, which set up a formula for federal sharing of ammunition tax revenue for establishing state wildlife areas. The program is still in effect. The
Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area near
Hiko, Nevada
Hiko is a small, agrarian community in the Tonopah Basin on Nevada State Route 318, State Route 318 in Lincoln County, Nevada, Lincoln County, Nevada, United States. It is a census-designated place, with a population of 119 at the 2010 United Sta ...
, which encompasses the Frenchy and Nesbitt Lakes, is named in his honor.
Death and legacy
It was falsely rumored for years that Pittman died before his
final election in 1940, and that Democratic party leaders kept the body at Tonopah's
Mizpah Hotel
The Mizpah Hotel is a historic hotel in Tonopah, Nevada, U.S. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Mizpah and the nearby Belvada Building, both five stories high, ...
in a bathtub full of ice until after he was reelected so Governor
Edward Carville, a fellow Democrat, could appoint a replacement. The truth was, former Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha wrote, "just as disreputable." Pittman suffered a severe
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
just before the election on November 5, and two doctors told his aides before the election that death was imminent. To avoid affecting the election, the party told the press that the senator was hospitalized for exhaustion and that his condition was not serious.
Pittman died on November 10 at the
Washoe General Hospital in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...
.
Several pieces of legislation bore his name, including the
Pittman Act
The Pittman Act was a United States federal law sponsored by Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and enacted on April 23, 1918. The Act authorized the conversion of not exceeding 350,000,000 standard silver dollars into bullion and its sale or use for ...
of 1918 and the
Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.
The Pittman section of the
Alaska Railroad
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, more commonly known today as the community of
Meadow Lakes west of
Wasilla
Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the s ...
, was also named for him. Pittman Road runs north from its intersection with the
George Parks Highway
The George Parks Highway (numbered Interstate A-4 and signed Alaska Route 3), usually called simply the Parks Highway, runs 323 miles (520 km) from the Glenn Highway 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage to Fairbanks in the Alaska Inte ...
at "downtown" Meadow Lakes.
In 1941, his wife donated Pittman's papers to the Library of Congress. She temporarily withdrew them in 1942. They were returned to the Library by the Gates family in 1954.
See also
*
Footnotes
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
* Th
Key Pittman papers including
finding aid at the Library of Congress
*
*
*
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pittman, Key
1872 births
1940 deaths
Democratic Party United States senators from Nevada
Nevada Democrats
Nevada lawyers
People from Tonopah, Nevada
People of the Klondike Gold Rush
Politicians from Vicksburg, Mississippi
Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate
Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations