Lewis B. Schwellenbach

Lewis B. Schwellenbach
Lewis B. Schwellenbach
	Schwellenbach in 1940
5th United States Secretary of Labor
	In office; July 1, 1945 – June 10, 1948
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Frances Perkins
Succeeded by	Maurice J. Tobin
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
	In office; November 20, 1940 – June 30, 1945
Appointed by	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	J. Stanley Webster
Succeeded by	Samuel Marion Driver
United States Senator; from Washington
	In office; January 3, 1935 – December 16, 1940
Preceded by	Clarence Dill
Succeeded by	Monrad Wallgren
Personal details
Born	Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach; September 20, 1894; Superior, Wisconsin
Died	June 10, 1948 (aged 53); Washington, D.C.
Resting place	Washelli Cemetery; Seattle, Washington
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Anne Duffy (1935–1948)
Education	University of Washington (LLB)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1918-1919
Rank	Corporal
Unit	12th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I

Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach (September 20, 1894 – June 10, 1948) was a United States senator from Washington, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and the 5th United States Secretary of Labor.

Background

Born on September 20, 1894, in Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin, Schwellenbach moved to Spokane, Washington with his parents in 1902, attending the Spokane elementary and high schools. He received a Bachelor of Laws in 1917 from the University of Washington School of Law. He was an assistant instructor at the University of Washington from 1916 to 1917.

Career

Schwellenbach entered service during World War I as a Private in the 12th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army in 1918 until his discharge as a corporal in 1919. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in Seattle, Washington from 1919 to 1935. Schwellenbach served as state commander of the American Legion^[1] and president of the University of Washington's alumni association,^[2] and was a delegate to numerous county and state conventions.^[3]^[4] His prominence as a result of these leadership roles caused the Democratic Party to consider him for state offices including attorney general and governor.^[5] He was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination for Governor of Washington in 1932.^[6]^[7]

Congressional service

Schwellenbach was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from January 3, 1935, to December 16, 1940, when he resigned. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1940, having been appointed to the federal bench. He was a delegate to the Inter-Parliamentary Union at The Hague, Netherlands in 1938.^[6]

Federal judicial service

Schwellenbach was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 6, 1940, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington vacated by Judge J. Stanley Webster. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 1940, and received his commission on November 20, 1940. His service terminated on June 30, 1945, due to his resignation to become Secretary of Labor.^[7]

Secretary of Labor

The official portrait of Lewis B. Schwellenbach hangs in the Department of Labor

Schwellenbach was appointed United States Secretary of Labor by President Harry S. Truman and served from July 1, 1945, until his death in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1948.^[6]^[7]^[8] He was interred in Washelli Cemetery in Seattle.^[6]

During Schwellenbach's tenure as Secretary, fear of post-war unemployment brought the United States Congress to pass the Employment Act of 1946, which made promotion of maximum employment the Nation's top priority. Schwellenbach promoted abolition of wartime wage and price controls. He had to deal with a post-war wave of strikes. The Republican 80th United States Congress passed the Taft–Hartley Act. Staff cuts were made at the United States Department of Labor. The U.S. Conciliation Service was removed from the Department of Labor and established as the independent Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). During his term, the Department's international work was institutionalized; the Office of International Labor Affairs (now the Bureau of International Labor Affairs) was established as a unit in the Office of the Secretary.^[8]

Personal life and death

Schwellenbach's brother, Edgar W. Schwellenbach, served as a Justice of the Washington Supreme Court.^[9]

He married Anne Duffy in 1935 and they remained together until his death in 1948.^[10]^[11]

Schwellenbach died on June 10, 1948. He was buried at Washelli Cemetery in Seattle.

References

^ "Schwellenbach Is Legion Leader". Tacoma Ledger. Tacoma, WA. September 3, 1922. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Washington Alumni Returns to Campus". The Bellingham Herald. Bellingham, WA. December 19, 1928. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Titlow Has Whip Hand". Tacoma Ledger. Tacoma, WA. May 16, 1920. pp. 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "King Democrats Eye Dry Issues". Spokane Chronicle. Spokane, WA. Associated Press. June 13, 1930. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Hunt, Lester M. (July 25, 1924). "Withdraws for Sake of Legion". Tacoma Ledger. Tacoma, WA. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d United States Congress. "Lewis B. Schwellenbach (id: S000160)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Schwellenbach, Lewis Baxter - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
^ ^a ^b "Hall of Secretaries: Lewis B. Schwellenbach - U.S. Department of Labor". www.dol.gov.
^ "State Supreme Court Justice Schwellenbach Dies Sunday At 70", Port Angeles Evening News (September 23, 1957), p. 6.
^ Madera Tribune, Volume LVI, Number 87, 10 June 1948
^ Official Congressional Directory: 74th Congress, 2nd Session (1936)

External links

"Hall of Secretaries: Lewis B. Schwellenbach - U.S. Department of Labor". www.dol.gov.
Lewis B. Schwellenbach at Find a Grave
Time, October 15, 1945 (A likeness of Schwellenbach was on the cover)
Truman, David McCullough ISBN 0-671-45654-7
Department of Labor archives

United States Congress. "Lewis B. Schwellenbach (id: S000160)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Party political offices
Preceded by Clarence Dill	Democratic nominee for United States Senator from Washington (Class 1) 1934	Succeeded by Monrad Wallgren
U.S. Senate
Preceded by Clarence Dill	United States Senator (Class 1) from Washington 1935–1940 Served alongside: Homer Bone	Succeeded by Monrad Wallgren
Legal offices
Preceded by J. Stanley Webster	Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington 1940–1945	Succeeded by Samuel Marion Driver
Political offices
Preceded by Frances Perkins	United States Secretary of Labor 1945–1948	Succeeded by Maurice J. Tobin