Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-11
Funeral of Senator Pittn1un
Will Be Held Thursday
Nevada Governor
To Name Successor
After Rites
By the Associated Press.

|
RENO, New, Nov. 1.-THE name
of Senator Key Pittman was added
today to the list of distinguished
American political figures who have
sacrificed their lives for office.
In failing health, the 68-year-old
chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and President
pro tempore of the Senate engaged
in a strenuous campaign, only to
collapse on the eve of reelection
and die early yesterday after
heart attack.
The veteran Democrat, diStin-
guished for his ringing denunci-
ations of foreign aggression and
for his outSpoken advocacy OF a
vigorous American stand in inter-
national affairs, was reelected
Tuesday to his sixth consecutive
term in the Senate, where he had
served since 1912.
That his campaign activities were
partly responsible for his collapse
was attested by his physician, DR..
A. j. Hood, who said the Senator
had been in poor health when he
returned to Nevada.
Funeral Thursday.
Senator Pittman's body will lie
in state in the Reno Civic Audi
forum where the funeral will be
held Thursday-a day Gov. E. P.
Carville said would be proclaimed
one of State mourning.
An Episcopalian minister, the Rev.
w. l. Botkin, will officiate at fu-
neral services at 3 pm. Thursday,
after which the body will be placed
in a crypt until Mrs. Pittman de-
cides on its final resting place.
There will be no action taken OH
naming a successor until after final
tribute has been paid the Senator.
The Governor would give no inkling
as to who might come under consid-
Grafton for this appointment.
Political observers speculated
about three possible appointees.
They were Gov. Carville. James S.
Schugham of Reno, representative
at Large from Nevada, who was re-
elected last Tuesday. and Ed w.
Clark of Las Vegas, Democratic
national committeeman. All of them
are Democrats
If Gov. Carville should be the
man, he would have to resign and
be appointed by Maurice ]. Sullivan,
Lieutenant Governor, who would
succeed him.
Two Might Be Named.
Two different persons might be
appointed, one for the present I'M
expired term and the other for the
term to which Senator Pittman had
Just been reelected This latter
term would end normally in jan
uary, 1947. but the appointment
would run only to the next election
IN 1912
Election of a new president pro
tempore of the Senate may be post
poned. Washington sources said, I'M
til the next Congress meets in jan
uary. However. if Congress should
resume business before then. it
would be necessary for Vice Presi-
dent Garner to return to Washing
ton or for new president pro tenn
pore to be elected, if bills passed
by the Senate are to be signed.
Although Senator Pittman was
not in vigorous health when he came
home to campaign successfully for
reelection, it was not until last
Saturday. when he failed to appear
at political rally here, that his ILL
ness became known publicly.
Monday MULTIPLICATION eve-he
was taken to the hospital and Dr.
Hood disclosed that he had been in
bad health throughout the CAM
palgn
Senator Pittman. first elected to
the Senate in 1912 for an unexpired
term of four years, defeated Samuel
Platt, Republican, in last Tuesdays
election-hiS sixth successive victory
for that office.
Governor Expresses Regret.
Gov. E. P. Carville expressed deep
regret at the Senator's death.
Nevada and the Nation have
suffered a great loss in the death of
Senator Pittman," the Governor
said. He has been one of the out
standing Senators of the West for
many years and I deeply regret his
passing"
The Senator's wife, Mrs. MinoSa
Gates Pittman. was at his bedside
when death came. His brother,
Dali Pittman. Ely New newspaper
publisher, was en- route here.
Mr.. Pittman, who never ran for
any Office except that Of United
States Senator, sought that office
first in 1906, the year Nevada de-
cided to try the direct primary as
an experiment. Prior to that time
Nevada Senators had been ap-
pointed by the State Legislature.
Mr.. PiJtman, at that time an at
/ torney in Tonopah. made a gentle
mans agreement with his opponent,
George Nixon, Republican incum-
bent, that the man who received
the majority of the popular vote
should have the Senate seat.
Mr.. Nixon polled 9,729 votes, Mr..
Pittman 1924.
But the Democrats elected a ma
jority to the State Legislature and
that body appointed Mr.. Pittman
to the Senate. The Tonopah lawyer
however, asked the Legislature to
rescind its action and appoint Nixon
The Legislature acceded to his re-
quest.
Mr.. Nixon died after serving four
years.
Native of Mississippi.
Mr.. Pittman was born in Vicks-
burg, Miss, September 10, 1872 He
was educated at the Southwestern
Presbyterian University and at
George Washington University. In
1892 he began law practice in
Seattle, Wash.
From 1897 to 1901 he was in the
Northwest Territory and served
on the committee which formulated
the consent" form of government
for Nome, Alaska. He was the first