Albert Wahl Hawkes (November 20, 1878 – May 9, 1971) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who represented
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
from 1943 to 1949. During and after his term in office, he was a leading figure in the conservative wing of the New Jersey Republican Party. He dropped out of his race for re-election after facing a primary challenge from the moderate wing, led by Governor Alfred E. Driscoll, with whom he had a running dispute.
Early life and education
Albert Wahl Hawkes was born in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
on November 20, 1878.
He left school at the age of 15 to work as an office boy for a chemical company and studied law at night classes at Chicago College of Law. He graduated at the age of 21 in 1900, gaining admission to the bar the same year.
He studied chemistry at Lewis Institute (now the
Illinois Institute of Technology
The Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Illinois Tech and IIT, is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the m ...
) for two years and engaged in the chemical business.
Business career
During the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Hawkes served as director of the Chemical Alliance in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
(1917–1918).
In 1926, Hawkes was serving as executive vice president of General Chemical Company when he was elected president of Congoleum-Nairn, Inc. in Kearny, New Jersey. He assumed chairmanship of the corporation board in 1937.
In 1941, Hawkes became president of the United States Chamber of Commerce. President Franklin D. Roosevelt also named him to the National War Labor Board in 1942. He was also a member of the Newark Labor Board and a member of the Board to Maintain Industrial Peace in New Jersey from 1941 to 1942.
After leaving the Senate, he returned to Congoleum-Nairn before retiring in 1951.
Political career
In 1942, following his appointment to the National War Labor Board, Hawkes ran for United States Senate. He defeated Gill Robb Wilson in the Republican primary and Democratic incumbent William H. Smathers in the general election.
As Senator, Hawkes was an ardent conservative, particularly on economic issues. Early in Hawkes's term, Senate Minority LeaderCharles L. McNary remarked of him, "His economic thinking goes back to B.C." Hawkes supported the wartime measures taken by the Roosevelt administration but was a consistent advocate for a return to "free enterprise" policies once the war ended. In June 1946, he said that the federal government had corrected monopoly in capital and should also correct monopoly by labor leaders, "who apparently have the power without restraint of law to bring the nation to its knees."
1948 re-election campaign and retirement
During Hawkes's term in office, Governor of New Jersey Alfred E. Driscoll emerged as the dominant force in the New Jersey Republican Party, and Driscoll sought to put forward a less conservative candidate for Hawkes's seat in the April 1948 primary. In January 1948, Driscoll and other Republican leaders in the state called for Hawkes to end his re-election bid and endorsed state senator and wealthy Englewood stockbroker David Van Alstyne Jr. for the Senate nomination, arguing that Hawkes could not win re-election. In particular, critics pointed to a recent fundraising dinner speech in which Hawkes said, "I have never hated anyone in my life longer than overnight. There is one exceptionand he ranklin D. Rooseveltlies buried in Hyde Park" as a fatal political blunder.
Hawkes responded sharply to the calls for his withdrawal,
"This choice has been made by whipping recalcitrant supporters into line and by utilizing other pressures of power politicsin short, by substituting one-man control for the right of the people to choose their own candidate. We are being treated to the emergence of a Republican oligarchy in New Jersey in which the titular head of the party becomes the state, not the representative of the people in the state."
Soon, it became clear that Van Alstyne would fail to unify the party establishment in opposition to Hawkes. On February 13, state treasurer Robert C. Hendrickson announced his campaign for the seat, bringing the endorsements of 17 out of 21 county Republican leaders. Only
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Harry Harper.
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
,
Ocean
The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
, and
Cape May
Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Th ...
counties remained neutral. Hawkes had no institutional support, but reiterated that he would remain in the race.
Hawkes ended his campaign on March 5, 1948, denouncing "Boss Driscoll" and other party leaders as "New Deal Republicans". Hendrickson went on to win the nomination and general election.
1952 Republican National Convention
At the
1952 Republican National Convention
The 1952 Republican National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois from July 7 to 11, 1952, and nominated Dwight David Eisenhower, Dwight D. Eisenhower of New York (state), New York, nicknamed "Ike", for Pres ...
, Hawkes supported his former colleague, Senator Robert A. Taft of
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, for the presidential nomination over General
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
. He continued to speak out for a more conservative Republican position.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, and
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (officially known as Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) is the medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irvin ...
. He became a neurologist in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
Alistair Cooke
Alistair Cooke, Order of the British Empire, KBE (né Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the Unite ...
, the host of
Masterpiece Theatre
''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...
.
* Morgan Hawkes Paddelford lived in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
.
Hawkes was a trustee of the
Freedoms Foundation
Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (now Founding Forward) is an American non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. The foundation is located adjacent to the Valley Forge National Historical Park, near Val ...
Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...