Roy Owen West (October 27, 1868November 29, 1958) was a

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

politician who served as

U.S. Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...

from 1928 until 1929 in President Calvin Coolidge's cabinet.

Biography

West was born in

Georgetown, Illinois Georgetown is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 3,143. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Georgetown was established in 1826 and was ...

, on October 27, 1868, the son of Helen Anna Yapp and Pleasant West. He graduated from

DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...

and was the admitted to the

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

bar in 1890."Roy O. West, 90, Former US Aide", ''The New York Times'', December 1, 1958 West served as assistant attorney for the

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2 ...

and then as city attorney for Chicago. In 1898, West was elected to the Chicago Board of Review. West formed a close political alliance with future

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

Charles S. Deneen Charles Samuel Deneen (May 4, 1863 – February 5, 1940) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Illinois, from 1905 to 1913. He was the first Illinois governor to serve two consecutive terms totalli ...

. West served as the Secretary to the GOP National Committee from 1924 until 1928. President Coolidge appointed West

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natur ...

from 1928 until before Hoover's inauguration in 1929, but after his cabinet service, West returned to Illinois. He was a member of the National Methodist Board of Education from 1936 to 1940."Roy O. West Dead at 90; Elder Statesman of GOP", ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'', December 2, 1958. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, West worked as a federal hearing officer for conscientious objector cases. He died 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 ...

, and was buried in

Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is an American garden cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. According to legend, the name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the a ...

there. The Roy O. West Library at

was named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Roy O. 1868 births 1958 deaths Burials at Rosehill Cemetery DePauw University alumni United States Secretaries of the Interior Coolidge administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Illinois Republicans People from Georgetown, Illinois