Thomas Chipman McRae

Thomas Chipman McRae


26th Governor of Arkansas
In office January 11, 1921 – January 13, 1925
Preceded by	Charles Hillman Brough
Succeeded by	Tom Jefferson Terral
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office December 7, 1885 – March 3, 1903
Preceded by	John H. Rogers
Succeeded by	Hugh A. Dinsmore
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
In office 1877-1879
Personal details
Born	December 21, 1851 Mount Holly, Arkansas
Died	June 2, 1929(1929-06-02) (aged 77) Prescott, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic

Thomas Chipman McRae (December 21, 1851 – June 2, 1929) was an attorney and politician from Arkansas. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives (1885 to 1903) and the 26th Governor of Arkansas, from 1921 to 1925.

Biography

Thomas Chipman McRae, the eldest of five siblings, was born to Duncan L. and Mary Ann (Chipman) McRae on December 21, 1851, at Mount Holly in Union County, Arkansas. He attended Soule Business College in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated with a law degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He passed the Arkansas bar in 1873, and began his practice at Rosston in Nevada County, Arkansas. He married Amelia Ann White in December 1874, with whom he would go on to have six daughters and three sons. On May 19, 1877, Nevada County voters elected to move the county seat from Rosston, and construct a new courthouse in the newly created railroad town of Prescott. McRae relocated his family there to be closer to his center of business.^[1]

In 1874, McRae was appointed to the post of Election Commissioner in Arkansas. From 1877 to 1879, he served in the Arkansas House of Representatives and was a presidential elector in 1880. In 1884, 1896, and 1900, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and served as president of the convention twice. From 1888 to 1902 he was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. From 1885 to 1903, McRae served in the United States House of Representatives.

In 1902, McRae donated land for an African American school in Prescott, Arkansas. McRae's Elementary, Middle, and High School were integrated with the Prescott School District in 1969.^[2]

In 1917 and 1918, McRae was president of the Arkansas Bar Association; in the latter year he took part in the Arkansas Constitutional Convention.

In 1920, McRae was elected to his first term as Governor of Arkansas. In the election, McRae represented the Democratic Party, receiving 123,637 votes (66.6 percent). Wallace Townsend represented the Republican Party, receiving 46,350 votes (25 percent), and Josiah H. Blount represented the Independent Party, receiving 15,627 votes (8.4 percent).

McRae was elected to his second term in 1922. In that election, McRae received 99,987 votes (78.1 percent), and Republican John W. Grabiel received 28,055 votes (21.9 percent).^[3]

During his tenure, the Arkansas Railroad Commission was re-established, the Arkansas Corporation Commission was abolished, and the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanitarium for Negroes was established. A severance tax was passed with its revenue funding public schools, the Arkansas Office of State Geologist was created, and a personal income tax law was enacted.

Upon the end of his governorship, McRae was appointed special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He was elected a life member of the Arkansas Democratic State Convention in 1926. After serving four years as Governor of Arkansas, McRae returned to Prescott to be with his family. He resumed his law practice and he engaged in banking activities until his death on June 2, 1929. McRae is buried in the historic section of the De Ann Cemetery in Prescott.

McRae was a cousin of Thomas Banks Cabaniss, a U.S. Representative from Georgia. He was also the grandfather of Thomas C. "Tom" McRae, III, longtime President of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

References

↑ "Thomas Chipman McRae (1851–1929)". Derek Allen Clements, The Central Arkansas Library System - EncyclopediaOfArkansas.net. February 5, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
↑ "McRae High School yearbooks". Arkansas History Commission - Ark-ives.com. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
↑ Robert A. Diamond, ed., Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (Washington, D.C., 1975), p. 399

United States Congress. "Thomas Chipman McRae (id: M000597)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

Works by or about Thomas Chipman McRae at Internet Archive

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by John H. Rogers	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd congressional district 1885 – 1903	Succeeded by Hugh A. Dinsmore
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Hillman Brough	Governor of Arkansas 1921 – 1925	Succeeded by Tom Jefferson Terral

Governors of Arkansas

Territory (1819–1836)	J. Miller Izard Crittenden Pope Fulton

State (since 1836)	J. Conway Yell Adams Drew Byrd Roane E. Conway Rector Flanagin Murphy Clayton Hadley Baxter Brooks* Baxter Garland W. Miller Churchill Berry Hughes Eagle Fishback Clarke Jones Davis Little Moore Pindall Martin Donaghey Robinson Oldham Futrell Hays Brough McRae Terral Martineau Parnell Futrell Bailey Adkins Laney McMath Cherry Faubus Rockefeller Bumpers Riley Pryor Purcell Clinton White Clinton Tucker Huckabee Beebe Hutchinson

Italics indicates acting governor * Disputed; see Brooks-Baxter War

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas

Territory	Bates Conway Sevier

At-large	Yell Cross Yell Newton Johnson Hynes Breckinridge

1st district	Greenwood Hindman Roots Hanks Hodges Gause Dunn Cate Featherstone Cate McCulloch Macon Caraway Driver Gathings Alexander Lincoln Berry Crawford

2nd district	Warren Rust Warren Rust Hinds Elliott A. Rogers O. Snyder Slemons Jones Breckinridge Little Brundidge W. Oldfield P. Oldfield Miller Mills Tucker Bethune T. Robinson Thornton V. Snyder Griffin Hill

3rd district	Boles Edwards Boles Wilshire Gunter Wilshire J. Cravens J. Rogers McRae Dinsmore Floyd Tillman Fuller Ellis Fulbright Trimble Hammerschmidt T. Hutchinson A. Hutchinson Boozman Womack

4th district	Gunter Peel J. Rogers Terry Reid Little W. B. Cravens O. Wingo E. Wingo W. B. Cravens W. F. Cravens Tackett Harris Pryor Thornton Anthony Dickey Ross Cotton Westerman

5th district	Peel Dinsmore Reid Jacoway Ragon Terry Hays Alford

6th district	Neill Brundidge J. Robinson S. Taylor C. Taylor Sawyer Reed Glover McClellan W. Norrell C. Norrell

7th district	Wallace Goodwin Parks Kitchens Harris

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources

Gregg Boyle Gregg Boyle Morrow McKee Robertson Poindexter Anderson Rankin Scott Isacks Wickliffe Clay Boon Casey Corwin Mason Morrow Johnson Morrow Chapman Morrow Davis McClernand Collamer Bowlin Hall Disney Bennett W. Cobb Thayer Potter Julian Ketcham Townsend Sayler Morrison Converse Pound T. Cobb Holman Payson McRae Lacey Mondell J. T. Robinson Ferris Sinnott Colton Evans De Rouen J. W. Robinson Peterson Welch Somers Peterson Murdock A. Miller Engle Aspinall Haley Udall G. Miller Young Hansen Pombo Rahall Hastings Bishop

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 61123017 LCCN: no94032624 US Congress: M000597

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