William P. Hepburn | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 8th district | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1909 | |
| Preceded by | William Fletcher Sapp (1st) James Patton Flick (2nd) |
| Succeeded by | Albert R. Anderson (1st) William Darius Jamieson (2nd) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 4, 1833 Wellsville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 1916 (aged 82) Clarinda, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Union Army |
| Rank | .svg){kind=small} Captain |
| Unit | Company B, 2nd Iowa Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
William Peters Hepburn (November 4, 1833 – February 7, 1916) was an American Civil War officer and an eleven-term Republican congressman from Iowa's now-obsolete 8th congressional district, serving from 1881 to 1887, and from 1893 to 1909. According to historian Edmund Morris, "Hepburn was the House's best debater, admired for his strength of character and legal acumen."[1] As chair of one of the most powerful committees in Congress, he guided or sponsored many statutes regulating businesses, including most notably the Hepburn Act of 1906. The Hepburn Act authorized the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission to require railroads to charge "just and reasonable" rates.[2]
- ^ Edmund Morris, "Theodore Rex: 1901-1909," p. 422 (2001), ISBN 0-394-55509-0.
- ^ 59th Congress, Sess. 1, ch. 3591, 34 Stat. 584, enacted June 29, 1906.