Boies Penrose | |
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United States Senator from Pennsylvania | |
In office March 4, 1897 – December 31, 1921 | |
Preceded by | J. Donald Cameron |
Succeeded by | George Pepper |
Member of the Republican National Committee from Pennsylvania | |
In office May 18, 1916 – December 31, 1921 | |
Preceded by | Henry Wasson |
Succeeded by | George Pepper |
In office June 9, 1904 – May 1, 1912 | |
Preceded by | Matthew Quay |
Succeeded by | Henry Wasson |
Chairman of the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania | |
In office May 27, 1903 – April 26, 1905 | |
Preceded by | Matthew Quay |
Succeeded by | Wesley Andrews |
President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate | |
In office May 9, 1889 – May 28, 1891 | |
Preceded by | John Grady |
Succeeded by | John P. S. Gobin |
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 6th district | |
In office January 4, 1887 – January 27, 1897[1] | |
Preceded by | Robert Adams, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Israel Wilson Durham |
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Philadelphia County district | |
In office January 6, 1885[2] – June 12, 1885 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | November 1, 1860
Died | December 31, 1921 Washington D.C., U.S. | (aged 61)
Resting place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Boies Penrose (November 1, 1860 – December 31, 1921) was an American politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who served as a Republican member of the United States Senate for Pennsylvania from 1897 to 1921. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the Philadelphia County district in 1885. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 6th district in 1897 and as President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate from 1889 to 1891.
Penrose was the fourth political boss of the Pennsylvania Republican political machine (known under his bossism as the Penrose machine), following Simon Cameron, Donald Cameron, and Matthew Quay.[3] He was the most powerful political operative in Pennsylvania for 17 years, supported Warren Harding in his nomination for U.S. president, and added the oil depletion allowance into the Revenue Act of 1913 to benefit oil producers. Penrose was the longest-serving U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania until Arlen Specter surpassed his record in 2005.[4]