Robert John Tracewell (May 7, 1852 – July 28, 1922) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served one term 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

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

from 1895 to 1897.

Biography

Born near

Front Royal, Virginia Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated at 15,400 as of 2023. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to beco ...

, Tracewell moved with his parents to

Corydon, Indiana Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, Harrison Township and the county seat of Harrison County, Indiana, located north of the Ohio River in the extreme southern part of the state. Corydon was founded in 1808 and serve ...

, in 1854. He attended the public schools of Corydon and was graduated from

Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...

in 1874. He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1875 and commenced practice in

Congress

Tracewell was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 to the Fifty-fifth Congress.

Later career and death

He was appointed by

President McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party, he led a realignment that made Republicans largely do ...

as Comptroller of the Treasury and served from March 4, 1897, to June 15, 1914, when he resigned. He moved to

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

, in 1914 and resumed the practice of law. Tracewell was elected judge of the superior court of Vanderburg County, Indiana, in 1918. Renominated in 1922, but died in

, on July 28, 1922, before the election. He was interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tracewell, Robert John 1852 births 1922 deaths Hanover College alumni People from Front Royal, Virginia People from Corydon, Indiana Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives