Ralph Julian Rivers

Ralph Julian Rivers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large district
In office January 3, 1959 – December 30, 1966
Preceded by	Bob Bartlett (Delegate)
Succeeded by	Howard W. Pollock
Personal details
Born	May 23, 1903 Seattle, Washington
Died	August 14, 1976 (aged 73) Chehalis, Washington
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of Washington

Ralph Julian Rivers (May 23, 1903 – August 14, 1976) was a Democratic United States Representative from Alaska.

Biography

Born in Seattle, Washington, Rivers attended grammar school in Flat, Alaska, and Franklin High School in Seattle. He worked as a gold miner in Flat from 1921 to 1923, and then earned an LL.B. from the University of Washington in 1929. He then worked as a lawyer in private practice for several years.

Rivers, at bottom left, celebrating Alaska becoming a state on January 3, 1959. Behind Rivers is Bob Atwood. To his left are Fred Seaton, Ernest Gruening, Bob Bartlett, Mike Stepovich and Waino Hendrickson.

Rivers was a lifelong civil servant, working in a number of public positions throughout his life. He served as United States district attorney for the fourth judicial division, district of Alaska, from 1933 to 1944. He was then elected as the attorney general of Alaska, serving from 1945 to 1949. He was the chair of the Employment Security Commission of Alaska from 1950 to 1952, and then became the mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska from 1952 to 1954. In 1954 he was also president of the League of Alaskan Cities. He was a member of the Alaska Territorial Senate in 1955, and was the second vice president of the Alaska Constitutional Convention at College, Alaska in 1955 and 1956. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1960, 1964, and 1968.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1957 and 1958, Rivers was a United States Representative-elect under the Alaska-Tennessee Plan in Washington, D.C., on a provisional basis, pending statehood. Upon the admission of Alaska as a State into the Union, he was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-sixth and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1959 until December 30, 1966. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninetieth Congress in 1966, resigning days before the end of his term.

Rivers died in Chehalis, Washington, and his remains were cremated. His ashes were interred at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Electoral history

Alaska's at-large congressional district: Results 1958–1966^[1]

Year		Republican	Votes	Pct		Democrat	Votes	Pct
1958		Henry A. Benson	20,699	42.5%		Ralph J. Rivers	27,948	57.5%
1960		R. L. Rettig	25,517	43.2%		Ralph J. Rivers (inc.)	33,546	56.8%
1962		Lowell Thomas, Jr.	26,638	44%		Ralph J. Rivers (inc.)	33,953	56%
1964		Lowell Thomas, Jr.	32,556	48.5%		Ralph J. Rivers (inc.)	34,590	51.5%
1966		Howard W. Pollock	34,040	51.6%		Ralph J. Rivers (inc.)	31,867	48.4%

References

1. "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-10-24.

• United States Congress. "Ralph Julian Rivers (id: R000282)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

• Ralph Julian Rivers at Find a Grave
• Ralph Rivers at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature