Choice Boswell Randell (January 1, 1857 – October 19, 1945) was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

from 1901 to 1913. He was the nephew of Lucius Jeremiah Gartrell.

Biography

Charles Boswell Randell was born to James L. and Louisa Amantha (Gartrell) Randell in Murray County, Georgia. He attended public and private schools and the North Georgia Agricultural College at

Dahlonega, Georgia Dahlonega ( ) is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884. Dahlonega is located at t ...

, but did not graduate. Instead, he changed his course of study to law and was admitted to the Georgia State Bar in 1878. Texas State Historical Association Randell commenced his law practice in

Denison, Texas Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Denison is pa ...

, in January 1879. He moved to

Sherman, Texas Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, Sherman–Denison metropolitan statist ...

, in 1882 and continued the practice of law.

Public service

Randell was elected as a Democrat to the fifty-seventh and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1913). He did not support women's suffrage and expressed in a letter to women's

suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

leader Ermina Thompson Folsom that his concern was race-based. Randell was the author of the Anti-Graft Resolutions to prevent members of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

from receiving gifts or fees from anyone with business before Congress. With pending reapportionment of his congressional district, Randell chose to make a bid for 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 ...

in 1912, rather than run for re-election as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

. Randell was unsuccessful in his Senate bid, and

Sam Rayburn Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was an American politician who served as the 43rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a three-time House speaker, former House majority leader, two-time ...

succeeded him in the U.S. House. After his career in public service ended, Randell resumed the practice of law.

Death

He died in

, October 19, 1945.

Fraternal memberships

Randell had membership in the following organizations: *

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

* Knights of Pythias *

Odd Fellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in 18th-cen ...

* Woodmen of the World *

Improved Order of Red Men The Improved Order of Red Men is a List of civic, fraternal, service, and professional organizations, fraternal organization established in North America in 1834. It claims direct descent from the colonial era Sons of Liberty. Their rituals and ...

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Randell, Choice Boswell 1857 births 1945 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives