Joseph Warren Fordney (November 5, 1853 – January 8, 1932) was an American Republican politician from

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greate ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. He represented Saginaw County and the surrounding area of Central Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives for twenty-four years.

Biography

Fordney was born on a farm near

Hartford City, Indiana Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community underwent a dramatic 15-year economic boom beginning in the late 1 ...

where he attended the common schools. He moved to

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County, Michigan, Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, Michi ...

in June 1869 and engaged in the lumber industry. Afterward became the owner of extensive lumber enterprises and the vice president of the Saginaw Board of Trade. He was also a member of the Saginaw Board of Aldermen from 1896 to 1900. In November 1898, Fordney defeated incumbent Democrat

Ferdinand Brucker Ferdinand Brucker (January 8, 1858 – March 3, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives from 1897 to 1899. Early life and education Brucker was ...

to be elected as a Republican from Michigan's 8th congressional district to the

56th United States Congress The 56th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1899 ...

. He was subsequently re-elected to the eleven succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1899 to March 3, 1923. Fordney served as the chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy in the

59th Congress The 59th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1905, t ...

; and of the Committee on Ways and Means in the 66th and 67th Congresses. He co-sponsored the 1922

Fordney–McCumber Tariff The Fordney–McCumber Tariff of 1922 was a law that raised American tariffs on many imported goods to protect factories and farms. The US Congress displayed a pro-business attitude in passing the tariff and in promoting foreign trade by providin ...

. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1922. He was also a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

s in

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

, 1924, and 1928. After leaving Congress, Fordney returned to the lumber business in Saginaw and was also interested in banking and agricultural pursuits. He died in Saginaw and is interred there in St. Andrew’s Cemetery.

Bibliography

*Russell, John A. ''Joseph Warren Fordney: An American Legislator''. Boston: The Stratford Co., 1928.

References

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fordney, Joseph Warren 1853 births 1932 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan