Evening star., 1939-02-06
Family Tradition Carried on
By Nine Senate Members
Toft Clan Is First to Be Represented
In Three Branches of Government
BY FRED H. MORHART, Jr.

BY FRED H. MORHART, Jr.
When Robert A. Taft recently
was sworn in as Republican Sena-
tor from Ohio he brought to his
immediate family the distinction of
having been represented prominent
ly In all three branches Of the Fed
eral Government. In addition he
became the ninth sitting member
Of the Senate whose father also had
served in the legislative branch of
the Government
In recent times, If not in the en-
tire history of the Government, the
Taft family is the first to be repre-
sented in the legislative, judicial
and executive branches of the Gov
ernment. Mr.. Taft's father was
President from 1909 to 1913 and
Chief Justice of the United States
from 1921 to 1880. His mother had
the distinction of being the second
wife Of a President to see her son
sworn in as a Senator, Mrs. John
Adams, wife of the second Presi-
dent, being the other, her son being
John Quincy Adams.
Unique Distinction.
Mrs. Eugene Hale had the unique
distinction of being the daughter
of Senator, the wife Of Senator
and the mother of a Senator. Her
father, Zachariah Chandler Of
Michigan, served as a Republican
member of the Senate from 1857 to
1879, with one break, from 1875
to February, 1879 He lived but
nine months after being elected to
fill a vacancy. Senator Chandler,
in addition, was Secretary Of In
terror under President Grant from
1875 to 1877.
Her husband served in the House
of Representatives from 1869 to
1879 and in the Senate from 1881
to 1911, when he retired. His service
was longer than any other member
then in the Senate. Like his son,
Senator Frederick Hale, he repre-
sented Maine. The present Senator
Hale was seated in 1916 and his
present term will expire in 194l.
Senator Wallace H. White, Mr..
Hale's colleague from Maine. also
comes from q senatorial family
Like his grandfather, William Pierce
Frye. he served in the Lower House
first before going to the Senate
Mr.. White was elected to the Sixty
fifth Congress and served through
the Seventy-first Congress, when in
1880 he was elected Senator. Re-
elected in 1896, his second term ex-
pires in 1912.
The Cabots and the Lodges.
The New England Lodges, inter-
twined with the Cabots, have served
the legislative branch intermittently
since 1871. George Cabot started
the long line of Massachusetts rep
resentation by the family.
The present Senator. Henry Cabot
Lodge, can trace his family Gov
ernment service back to the 1887
Constitutional Convention, when
his Observation-Disclosures,
George Cabot, represented Massa-
chusettS. Mr.. Cabot was elected to
the Senate in 1791 as a Federalist.
He resigned five years later. In
addition, he was Secretary of Navy
under President John Adams.
The first Henry Cabot Lodge
served an apprenticeship in the
House from 1887 to 1893 before NOV
ing up to the Senate. He served
from 1893 to 1924 in the Upper
House. His last term had four years
to run at the time Of his death.
Grandson Lodge, in his first term,
came to the Senate in 1886 as Re-
publican, despite the Democratic
landslide all over the country that
year. In addition, he is the nephew
of the late Augustus P. Gardner
who from 1902 to 1917 was a Repre-
sentative from Massachusetts,.
The Bankhead Family.
The Bankhead family has had q
father and two sons in Congress rep
resenting Alabama as Democrats
John H. Bankhead, a Confederate
Army veteran, served an apprentice
ship in the House from 1887 to 1907
before moving into the Senate. From
1907 to 1920 he served in the Senate
His son, John H. Bankhead. I'd
came to the Senate in 1880 and In
1896 was reelected.
In the Lower House, the son and
brother, William B. Bankhead, Il
not only Representative, but
Speaker as well. He first came to
Congress in 1917 and has served con.
tinuously since that time. He went
from chairman Of the Rules Com.
mittee to majority leader and or
the death of Speaker Joseph w
Byrns was named Speaker for the
remainder of the Seventy fourth
Congress. Since 1887 he has helc
the speakership without caucus op'
position.
The La Toilette family handed
down the Wisconsin senatorshir
from father to son. Robert M. Ls
Toilette from 1905 to 1925 served ir
the Senate, and on his death hi
son, Robert, jr., was elected to fl
the vacancy. In addition the senior
La Toilette was unsuccessful can.
didate for PreSldent on the Pro.
rressive ticket. The father of thl
present Senator, in addition, from
1885 to 1891 was q member Of thu
House.
Though Senator Bennett ChamI
Clarks father did not sit in thu
Upper House. he was Speaker O
the House for two terms and saw
long service a. q Democratic Rep
resentative from Missouri. Jame'
Beauchamp Clark, better known q