Caleb R. Layton
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Caleb Rodney Layton (September 8, 1851 – November 11, 1930) was an American physician and politician from Georgetown, in
Sussex County, Delaware Sussex County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 237,378, making it the state's second most populated county behind New Castle and ahead of Ke ...
. He was a member of the Republican Party, and served two terms as U.S. Representative from Delaware.


Early life and family

Layton was born at Long Farm, near
Frankford, Delaware Frankford is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 847 at the 2010 census, an increase of 18.6% over the previous decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Loc ...
, the son of Samuel Henry Layton and Elizabeth Long Layton. He was named for his great-grandfather, the Delaware governor
Caleb Rodney Caleb Rodney (April 29, 1767 – April 29, 1840) was an American merchant and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Federalist Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware. E ...
, and was the grandson of Delaware, congressman, and Secretary of State of Delaware Caleb Sipple Layton. His father was a farmer who had served as Sheriff, Justice of the Peace, and Clerk of the Court of Sussex County. Caleb Layton attended Georgetown Academy and
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
in Massachusetts, graduating in 1873. Subsequently he attended the medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and received his degree in 1876. In 1906 he married Anna Elizabeth Sipple and they had three children: Rachel Sipple Layton, Daniel John Layton, and Caleb Sipple Layton.


Professional and political career

Returning to Sussex County, Layton settled in Georgetown and began the practice of medicine. His first position in the political sphere was as the Secretary of the Republican County Committee, which he held from 1876 to 1888. He was Chairman of the Union ( Addicks) Republican Party County Committee from 1896 to 1901 and also served as one of Delaware's ten delegates to the
Republican National Conventions The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of ...
in the years 1896, 1900 and 1904. Meanwhile, from 1897 until 1905, he was editor of the ''Union Republican,'' a Georgetown newspaper. Withdrawing completely from his medical practice, Layton was appointed Delaware Secretary of State in 1901, and served until 1905. For the next four years he was appointed as an auditor for the
U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
in Washington, D.C. From 1912 until 1918 he was a member of the Progressive Republican Party State committee. Layton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1918, defeating incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Albert F. Polk. He won election again in 1920, this time defeating Democrat James R. Clements. During these terms, he served in the Republican majority in the 66th and 67th congresses. Seeking reelection in 1922, he lost to Democrat William H. Boyce, a retired judge from Georgetown. Layton served two terms, from March 4, 1919, until March 3, 1923, during the administrations of U.S. presidents
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
and
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 (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
. He was voted out of office due to his voting against the
Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill (1918) was first introduced in the 65th United States Congress by Representative Leonidas C. Dyer, a Republican Party (United States), Republican from St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States House of Representatives ...
.
Alice Dunbar Nelson Alice Dunbar Nelson (July 19, 1875 – September 18, 1935) was an American poet, journalist, and political activist. Among the first generation of African Americans born free in the Southern United States after the end of the American Civil War, ...
, an African-American political activist and founder of the Anti-Lynching Crusaders, assisted 12,000 new voters who supported the bill to register in Delaware. Layton ultimately lost the election by 7000 votes, which was equal to the number of black voters who voted for his opponent in protest.


Death and legacy

Layton then resumed the practice of medicine in Georgetown, Delaware. He died there and is buried in the St. Paul's Episcopal Churchyard at Georgetown. His son, Daniel J. Layton, later became Attorney General of Delaware and then Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court.


Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. U.S. Representatives took office March 4 and have a two-year term.


References

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External links


Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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Places with more information

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Delaware Historical Society The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a statewide historical institution with several buildings, including Old Town Hall and the Delaware History M ...

website
505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161. *
University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

Library website
181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965.
Newark Free Library
750 Library Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 731-7550. {{DEFAULTSORT:Layton, Caleb R. 1851 births 1930 deaths People from Georgetown, Delaware Amherst College alumni Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Secretaries of state of Delaware Burials in Sussex County, Delaware Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Delta Upsilon members