Ralph Dayton Cole (November 30, 1873 – October 15, 1932) was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

from 1905 to 1911. He was the brother of

Raymond Clinton Cole Raymond Clinton Cole (August 21, 1870 – February 8, 1957) was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1919 to 1925. He was the brother of Ralph Dayton Cole, who also served in Congress. ...

, who also served in

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

Biography

Early years

Ralph Cole was born in

Vanlue, Ohio Vanlue is a village in Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The population was 359 at the 2010 census. History The village is 2 miles west from Sheriden Cave where native habitation was dated to have occurred around 11,000BC. Vanlue was platte ...

on November 30, 1873. Cole had attended public school before enrolling in Findlay College of

Findlay, Ohio Findlay ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo. The population was 40,313 at the 2020 census. It is home ...

, from which he graduated in 1896. From 1897 to 1899, Cole served as the deputy clerk of Hancock County, Ohio. During this period he also began to study law, attending Ohio Northern University College of Law. Cole was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1900 and commenced practice in

Political career

He served as member of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...

from 1900 to 1904. Cole was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-first Congresses (March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1911). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1910 to the Sixty-second Congress. He resumed the practice of law in Findlay, Toledo, and Columbus, Ohio. Legal adviser to the

Comptroller of the Currency The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is an independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury that was established by the National Currency Act of 1863 and serves to charter, regulate, and supervise all nationa ...

in 1912 and 1913. Cole served as chairman of the speakers' bureau for the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. Political action committee, political committee that assists the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republi ...

in 1916. He was also chosen as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1916, 1924, and 1928.

Military service

Cole enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

on June 6, 1917, serving overseas as major and lieutenant colonel in the 37th Infantry Division, taking part in many major engagements. Following the termination of hostilities, Cole became one of the founders of the American Legion at Paris on February 15, 1919. He was honorably discharged from the service April 6, 1919 and thereafter returned to civilian life.

Death and legacy

Sustained serious injuries in an automobile accident near Parkman, Ohio, from which he died in

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The hi ...

, on October 15, 1932. He was interred in Maple Grove Cemetery,

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Ralph Dayton 1873 births 1932 deaths People from Hancock County, Ohio University of Findlay alumni Claude W. Pettit College of Law alumni Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives United States Army personnel of World War I Ohio lawyers Road incident deaths in Ohio United States Army officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio