Robert Low Bacon (July 23, 1884 – September 12, 1938) was an American politician, a banker and military officer. He served as a congressman from New York from 1923 until his death in 1938. He is known as one of the authors of the

Davis–Bacon Act of 1931 The Davis–Bacon Act of 1931 is a United States federal law that establishes the requirement for paying the local prevailing wages on public works projects for laborers and mechanics. It applies to "contractors and subcontractors performing on ...

, which regulates wages for employees on federal projects.

Early life and education

Born in

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of the former Town of Roxbury, now also a part of the City of Boston. The commu ...

, the son of Martha Waldron Cowdin and future Secretary of State

Robert Bacon Robert Bacon (July 5, 1860 – May 29, 1919) was an American statesman and diplomat. He was also a leading banker and businessman who worked closely with Secretary of State Elihu Root, 1905-1909, and served as United States Secretary of Sta ...

, he received a common school education as a child. He went on to graduate from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1907 and from Harvard Law School in 1910.

Career

After graduation, Bacon was employed at the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

, where he worked until 1911.Marquis Who's Who, Inc. ''Who Was Who in American History, the Military''. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. P. 22 He moved to

Old Westbury, New York Old Westbury is a village (New York), village in the Towns of North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay (town), New York, Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long ...

to engage in

banking A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becau ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Bacon attended the business men's training camp at Plattsburgh in 1915, and served on the Texas border with the New York National Guard in 1916 at the Texas border. During

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 ...

, he served with the Field Artillery, United States Army from April 24, 1917, to January 2, 1919. He attained the rank of major and was awarded 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 ...

. Commissioned in the United States Officers' Reserve Corps with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1919, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in January 1923 and served until his death. Bacon was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1920. In 1922, after Frederick C. Hicks declines to seek another term, Bacon stepped into the race. His opponent was fellow Long Islander, S.A. Warner Baltazzi, whom he defeated in the fall. He entered Congress as a “wet”, someone who did not support

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

while still continuing his military career in the Officers' Reserve Corps during his years in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

. He faced no significant opposition over his career with the 1932 election possibly being his greatest challenge. That year, he faced

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Cornelius "Sonny" Vanderbilt Whitney (February 20, 1899 – December 13, 1992) was an American businessman, film producer, government official, writer and philanthropist. He was also a polo player and the owner of a significant stable of Thorough ...

another wealthy member of Long Island society in a race that pitted Bacon against the landslide victory of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. Both men belonged to many of the same private clubs and the race became bitter, with Bacon prevailing. Bacon's longest lasting political achievement may be the

which remain in force, with amendments. Bacon introduced similar legislation for many years and succeeded in securing passage after workings on depression-era federal spending projects found that jobs were going to cheaper workers from other areas. Bacon was a supporter of the repeal of prohibition and introduced a proposal to amend the 18th amendment to allow states to regulate alcohol. This amendment failed; but prohibition was ultimately repealed in 1933.

Personal life

He became engaged to Cecilia May in 1911, but they never married. He married Virginia Murray on April 14, 1913. Bacon's brother,

Gaspar G. Bacon Gaspar Griswold Bacon, Sr. (March 7, 1886 – December 25, 1947) served on the board of overseers of Harvard University, as the President of the Massachusetts Senate from 1929 to 1932 and as the 51st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, lieutena ...

was the

President of the Massachusetts Senate The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ''ex officio'' president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president of ...

from 1929–32 and

Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts. The constitutional honorific title for the office is His ...

from 1933-1935. His nephew was the actor Gaspar G. Bacon, Jr. better known as David Bacon. Bacon died of a

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 ...

near the State Police barracks in

Lake Success, New York Lake Success is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Lake Success was the temporary home of the Uni ...

while on his way home from a speaking engagement in New York City on September 12, 1938 at the age of 54. He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

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 ...

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-01-26 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Robert L. 1884 births 1938 deaths United States Army personnel of World War I Harvard Law School alumni Politicians from Boston Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Massachusetts Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Old Westbury, New York 20th-century American politicians People from Jamaica Plain United States Army colonels Military personnel from Massachusetts

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links