Thomas Allen Jenckes I (November 2, 1818 – November 4, 1875) was a United States representative from

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. Jenckes was best known for introducing a bill that created the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

. President Ulysses S. Grant then signed the bill into law on June 22, 1870. Jenckes was also a supporter of civil service reform.

Biography

Thomas Jenckes was born in Cumberland, Rhode Island on November 2, 1818. He graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

in 1838. Jenckes was admitted to the Rhode Island state bar in 1840. He was clerk in the Rhode Island state legislature from 1840 until 1844. From 1854 until 1857 he was a member of the State house of representatives. He was elected as Republican to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 1863 and served until 1871 when he lost a bid for reelection. He then resumed the practice of law in Cumberland.

U.S. House of Representatives

Jenckes was first elected to the U.S. House in 1863, defeating Democratic opponent Charles J. Bradley by seventeen percentage points. He was subsequently re-elected three times by landslide margins. During his House tenure, Jenckes was mostly known for introducing legislation which created the

.Shugerman, Jed H. (March 21, 2013)
The Creation of the Department of Justice: Professionalization Without Civil Rights or Civil Service
''The University of Texas at Austin School of Law''. Retrieved February 12, 2022. Contrary to some narratives that suggest this was an effort to bolster Reconstruction policies during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant and safeguard the constitutional rights of blacks, it was primarily for the purpose of professionalizing legal practice. Indeed, Jenckes "paid little attention" to protecting Southern blacks. Considered a "reformer," Jenckes was an early advocate of civil service reformThomas A. Jenckes Papers: A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress
''Library of Congress''. Retrieved February 12, 2022. and known as "the father of civil service." When he introduced legislation pushing it, fierce opposition was met by Radical Republican colleague John A. Logan of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, who was concerned with the plight of Southern blacks and called the bill "probably unconstitutional." The enactment of a civil service system to replace the traditional spoils system would prevent Republicans from utilizing patronage to benefit blacks, and it was later implemented via the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act years after Jenckes left office. Having prosecuted fraud implicated in the Credit Mobilier scandal, Jenckes' tenure was also marked by his revisions of bankruptcy law and involvement in cases related to Goodyear rubber, the Corliss steam engine, in addition to patents pertaining to refrigeration and ventilation. In the 1870 United States House of Representatives elections, Jenckes was defeated by fellow Republican Benjamin T. Eames.

Death

Jenckes died in Cumberland, Rhode Island on November 4, 1875, and is interred at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenckes, Thomas 1818 births 1875 deaths Brown University alumni People from Cumberland, Rhode Island Politicians from Providence County, Rhode Island Civil service reform in the United States * Burials at Swan Point Cemetery Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Rhode Island General Assembly

Biography

U.S. House of Representatives

Death

References

Further reading

External links