Today's history lesson - Charles Curtis - 31st Vice-Pres of the United States (with photos)

[LynneSin]

Here's a little bit about Charles Curtis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Curtis

As an attorney, Curtis entered political life early, winning multiple terms from his district in Topeka, Kansas, starting in 1892 as a Republican to the US House of Representatives. He was elected to the US Senate first by the Kansas Legislature (in 1906), and then by popular vote (in 1914, 1920 and 1926), serving one six-year term from 1907 to 1913, and then most of three terms from 1915 to 1929 (when he became Vice President). His long popularity and connections in Kansas and national politics helped make Curtis a strong leader in the Senate; he marshaled support to be elected as Senate Minority Whip from 1915–1925 and then as Senate Majority Leader from 1925–1929. In these positions he was instrumental in managing legislation and accomplishing Republican national goals.

Curtis ran for Vice-President with Herbert Hoover as President in 1928. They won a landslide victory. Although they ran again in 1932, the population saw Hoover as failing to alleviate the Great Depression, and they were defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.

Reason I brought this guy up and posted his photo simple -

He was the first person with significant acknowledged Native American ancestry and the first person with significant acknowledged non-European ancestry to reach either of the two highest offices in the United States government's executive branch. His maternal ancestry was three-quarters' Native American, of ethnic Kaw, Osage and Pottawatomie ancestry.[1] Curtis spent years of childhood living with his maternal grandparents on their Kaw reservation.

This guy is Native American and he looks about as White American as you can get. Maybe it's the big bushy mustache. Maybe it's the receding hairline with greying around the temples. Maybe these B&W photos hide something I can't see. Point is this, you can have Native American blood in you and still have predominant features of other races.

[Animal Chin]

1. Vice?

[LynneSin]

2. *** slaps forehead ***

Yeah I knew that.

He was Hoover's VP so after one term with Hoover he was pretty much done with politics.

[brush]

3. 31st president?

There's seems to be a typo in the title line. Shouldn't it be 31 Vice-President?

[LynneSin]

4. GEEZI fixed it

Last time I try multitasking

[Angry Dragon]

5. Interesting story

[HoneychildMooseMoss]

6. I have some Native American blood in my family

Mostly Cherokee, enough for some family members to qualify as members of the Cherokee Nation. The females exhibit characteristics of the women I've seen at the Cherokee village in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, while the males look strictly Caucasian.