Charles R. Forbes
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Charles Robert Forbes (February 14, 1878 – April 10, 1952) was a Scottish-American politician and military officer. Appointed the first director of the
Veterans' Bureau The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
by President
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
on August 9, 1921, Forbes served until February 28, 1923. His tenure was characterized by corruption and scandal.


Early life

Forbes was born February 14, 1878 in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. As a child, he and his parents emigrated to
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and the family lived in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. When Forbes was 16 years old, he joined the Marines as a musician, and was eventually stationed at the
Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administrativ ...
. Trained as an engineer, Forbes attended
Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...
, Cooper Institute in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
. Two months after enlisting in the Army in 1900, he was charged with desertion but restored to duty without a trial. Forbes served in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
after completing his enlistment and was honorably discharged from the Army in the rank of sergeant first class in 1908.Werner (1935), ''Privileged Characters'', pp. 24, 193-195, 228New York Times, ''Col. C. Forbes Dies; Led Veterans' Unit'', April 12, 1952.


Pacific Northwest and Hawaii

After leaving the Army, Forbes engaged in construction work in the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
, moving to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, where he became active in state politics. He married and had a daughter. In 1912, Forbes and his family moved to
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, at that time a United States territory, and worked at the
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
naval station as an engineer for the next five years. While in Hawaii, he served in four federal government appointments as Commissioner of Public Works, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Chairman of the Harbor Commission and chairman of the Reclamation Commission, appointed by President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
. While in Hawaii, Forbes became acquainted with vacationing senator
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
, a meeting that would eventually change both of their lives. His charismatic personality and hospitality created a positive impression with Harding, and soon the two became close friends, as did their wives.


World War I

After the United States entered
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
in 1917, Forbes enlisted again in the army. He served overseas in France in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
41st and 33rd Infantry Divisions. He was awarded both the French ''Croix de Guerre'' (War Cross) and the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...
. Forbes' final promotion was to the rank of
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. After World War I, he returned to Washington State and worked for the Hurley-Mason construction company in Tacoma. Forbes later became the vice president in charge of the company's
Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...
division.


1920 Harding campaign

When his close friend
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
was running for president in 1920, Forbes helped to deliver the state of Washington's delegate vote at the
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
held in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. Harding won the
presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The pre ...
by promising a "return to normalcy" following the tumultuous war years.


War Risk and Veterans' Bureaus

Forbes sought desperately to be appointed chairman of the
United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...
, an agency that controlled vast amounts of government shipping resources to private shippers. However, President Harding denied him the position and instead appointed Forbes to the War Risk Bureau on April 28, 1921. On August 9, 1921, Harding signed an act of Congress consolidating the War Risk Bureau and several other agencies into the new
Veterans' Bureau The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
. Forbes was confirmed by the Senate after a hastily organized nomination and vote that same day. The bureau was created to aid the thousands of World War I veterans in need of medical and employment services. Each of the bureau's 14 nationwide offices had the authority to act without awaiting approval from the main office. Forbes' wife Katherine had direct access to the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, having been given special privileges under Mrs. Harding's authority.


Veterans' Bureau tenure

With a $500,000,000 () annual budget at his disposal at the Veterans' Bureau, Forbes hired 30,000 employees. The agency was overstaffed and many of the appointees sought means to justify their paid positions. During the short timespan during which Forbes led the bureau, he
embezzled Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...
approximately $2 million, mainly in connection to the building of veterans' hospitals, the sale of hospital supplies intended for the bureau and
kickbacks A kickback is a form of negotiated bribery in which a commission is paid to the bribe-taker in exchange for services rendered. Generally speaking, the remuneration (money, goods, or services handed over) is negotiated ahead of time. The kickback ...
from contractors. Although 300,000 soldiers had been wounded in combat, Forbes had only allowed 47,000 claims for
disability insurance Disability Insurance, often called DI or disability income insurance, or income protection, is a form of insurance that insures the beneficiary's earned income against the risk that a disability creates a barrier for completion of core work func ...
, while many were denied compensation for reasons that Congress called "split hairs." Even fewer veterans received any vocational training under Forbes' direction of the bureau. While on the numerous trips (called "joy rides") that Forbes took to inspect hospital construction sites, he and his contractor friends allegedly indulged in parties and drinking. The men developed a secret code in order to communicate insider information and ensure government contracts.The Charleston Gazette (February 13, 1924), pp. 1, 9 According to congressional testimony, on an inspection trip to Chicago, Forbes gambled and accepted a $5,000 bribe from contractor J. W. Thompson and middleman E. H. Mortimer at the Drake Hotel to secure $17,000,000 in veterans' hospital construction contracts. Forbes claimed that the $5,000 payment was a loan. Mortimer also accused Forbes of conducting an affair with Mortimer's wife while on the inspection tours. After Forbes returned from his inspection tours, he began to sell hospital supplies at severely discounted prices. He sold nearly $7,000,000 of much-needed hospital supplies for only $600,000. Forbes was suspected of receiving kickbacks from contractors. When President Harding ordered Forbes to stop, Forbes disobeyed and continued to sell supplies. On January 24, 1923, Forbes awarded Hurley-Mason Construction, his former company, a contract of $1,300,000 to construct a new veterans' hospital at American Lake, near Tacoma. By January 1923, rumors had spread indicating that Forbes would resign from the Veterans' Bureau in June.


Resignation

When President Harding was informed in January 1923 that Forbes had refused to stop selling hospital supplies, Harding summoned Forbes to the White House and furiously demanded his resignation, allegedly grabbing Forbes by the throat while shouting, "You double-crossing bastard!" Forbes pleaded with Harding to allow him to tender his resignation from outside the country, and Forbes resigned on February 15, 1923 while in Paris. Among Forbes' final acts as chairman were numerous personnel changes at the bureau. In a searing attack on Forbes on the floor of the House of Representatives, Georgia congressman
William Washington Larsen William Washington Larsen (August 12, 1871 – January 5, 1938) was a United States Representative from Georgia. Personal life Larsen was born in Hagan, Georgia. He attended the Bryan Institute in Lanier, Georgia, the South Georgia Military ...
accused Forbes of making the personnel changes to reward his "henchmen" and remove those who may have had knowledge of Forbes' malfeasance.


Congressional investigation

On March 2, 1923, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to investigate the conduct of the Veterans' Bureau under Forbes. A three-member committee led by Pennsylvania senator
David A. Reed David Aiken Reed (December 21, 1880February 10, 1953) was an American lawyer and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1922 to 1935. He was a co-author of the restr ...
revealed that Forbes had left 200,000 unopened pieces of mail from veterans at the bureau. Among the testimony provided was that of E. H. Mortimer, to whom Forbes had delivered a $5,000 bribe while chairman of the Veterans' Bureau and whose wife was alleged to be romantically involved with Forbes. On March 14, 1923, former Veterans' Bureau general counsel Charles F. Cramer committed suicide one week after resigning in the face of increasing scrutiny from Congress and the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
for his involvement in the scandal. In October 1923, Forbes divorced his wife Katherine, who had accused him of neglect and claimed that it had caused her to become ill.


Trial, conviction, and prison sentence

Forbes was prosecuted and convicted of conspiracy to defraud the federal government, fined $10,000 and sentenced to a prison term of two years. He filed an appeal, but the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. The courts of appeals are divided into 11 numbered circuits that cover geographic areas of the United States and hear appeals fr ...
in Chicago upheld the conviction. On entering prison, Forbes said, "I don't suppose any prison is a pleasant place to go, but I shall try to make the best of it." Forbes was incarcerated on March 21, 1926 at the Leavenworth federal penitentiary and served 20 months. His cellmate was
Frederick Cook Frederick Albert Cook (June 10, 1865 – August 5, 1940) was an American explorer, physician, and ethnographer who claimed to have reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908. That was nearly a year before Robert Peary, who similarly claime ...
, an explorer convicted of fraud who claimed to be the first man to have reached the
North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
.


''New York World'' article

After his release from prison and in an effort to exonerate President Harding, Forbes wrote a December 4, 1927 article for the ''
New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...
,'' that alleged Harding was "duped" by his appointees and cabinet, known as the
Ohio Gang The Ohio Gang was a gang of politicians and industry leaders closely surrounding Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States. Many of these individuals came into Harding's personal orbit during his tenure as a state-level politici ...
. He claimed to have once discovered
Jess Smith Jesse W. "Jess" Smith (1871 – May 30, 1923) was a member of President Warren G. Harding's Ohio Gang. He was born and raised in Washington Court House, Ohio, where he became a friend of Harry M. Daugherty.John Wesley Dean, ''Warren G. Hard ...
, an aide to Harding's attorney general
Harry Daugherty Harry Micajah Daugherty (; January 26, 1860 – October 12, 1941) was an American politician. A key Ohio Republican political insider, he is best remembered for his service as Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Warren G. Hardi ...
, collecting $70,000 in $1,000 bills scattered on a Justice Department office floor. Forbes claimed that Smith had told him that it was Daugherty's cash on the floor. Forbes also claimed that the
narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
were rampant at Atlanta and Leavenworth federal prisons while Daugherty was attorney general as a result of chronic understaffing. Forbes accused Harding's personal physician
Charles E. Sawyer Charles Elmer Sawyer, also known as Dr. C. E. Sawyer (January 24, 1860 – September 23, 1924), was a homeopathic physician who was the longtime personal doctor to U.S. President Warren G. Harding and First Lady of the United States, First La ...
of being a "pernicious meddler." Forbes asserted that Harding had not profited in any way from the scandals during his administration and that Harding was "excessively loyal" with his friends to his own detriment. Forbes claimed that at a White House poker game, Harding said that he would remove a $1,000 fine imposed on prize fighter Jack Johnson, who had been released from Leavenworth in 1921. On December 16, 1927, Forbes testified before a grand jury in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
regarding his statement in the article claiming that narcotics were easily obtained within Leavenworth. After Forbes' lengthy testimony before the grand jury, he said that he was sworn to secrecy and refused to offer a statement to the press.


Illness and death

In October 1949, Forbes underwent a major operation. He died at the Walter Reed Hospital in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
at the age of 74 on April 10, 1952 after a long illness. He was interred at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
. He was survived by his wife Katherine T. Forbes and a daughter, Marcia.Time (Monday, April 21, 1952), ''Milestones''; New York Times (April 12, 1952), ''Col. C. Forbes Dies; Led Veterans' Unit''


Notes


Works cited


Books

* * *


Newspapers

* * * * *


Magazines

*


Online

* * * *


External links


Ohio History CentralHistory of Department of Veterans Affairs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Charles R. 1878 births Scottish military personnel 1952 deaths United States Army personnel of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Columbia University alumni Hawaii Republicans Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Scottish emigrants to the United States United States Army soldiers United States Marines Washington (state) Republicans Harding administration personnel United States Department of Veterans Affairs officials