William Vare | |
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United States Senator-elect from Pennsylvania | |
In office March 4, 1927 – December 6, 1929 Not seated | |
Preceded by | George Pepper |
Succeeded by | Joe Grundy |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st district | |
In office March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1927 | |
Preceded by | Himself |
Succeeded by | James Hazlett |
In office May 24, 1912 – January 2, 1923 | |
Preceded by | Henry Bingham |
Succeeded by | Himself |
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 1st district | |
In office November 7, 1922 – November 30, 1923 | |
Preceded by | Edwin Vare |
Succeeded by | Flora M. Vare |
Personal details | |
Born | William Scott Vare December 24, 1867 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | August 7, 1934 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 66)
Political party | Republican (Before 1934) Democratic (1934) |
William Scott Vare (December 24, 1867 – August 7, 1934) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district from 1912 to 1927. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from the 1st Senatorial District from 1922 to 1923.[1] He won election to the United States Senate for Pennsylvania in 1926 but was never seated and was eventually removed in 1929 due to allegations of corruption and voter fraud.
He was a notorious political boss in the Philadelphia Republican machine of the early 20th century.[2] Vare and his two brothers, Edwin and George, were known as the "Dukes of South Philadelphia" and held political control over South Philadelphia ward leadership and patronage jobs for decades. The contracting business he owned along with his brothers was involved in the construction of well-known sites in Philadelphia such as Municipal Stadium, the Broad Street subway and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.