James Eli Watson
| James Eli Watson | |
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United States Senator from Indiana |
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In office November 8, 1916 – March 3, 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Taggart |
| Succeeded by | Frederick Van Nuys |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 6th district |
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In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1909 |
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| Preceded by | Henry U. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | William O. Barnard |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 4th district |
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In office March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 |
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| Preceded by | William S. Holman |
| Succeeded by | William S. Holman |
| Senate Majority Leader | |
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In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Taylor Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 2, 1864 Winchester, Indiana |
| Died | July 29, 1948 (aged 83) Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | DePauw University |
James Eli Watson (November 2, 1864 – July 29, 1948) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Indiana. He was the Senate's second official majority leader. While an article published by the Senate (see References) gives his year of birth as 1862, this is most probably incorrect.
He was born in Winchester, Indiana, one of six children. His father was a lawyer, a Republican state legislator, and owner-editor of the local newspaper, the Winchester Herald. At the age of twelve, Watson accompanied his father to the 1876 Republican National Convention. Watson attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and graduated in 1886. At DePauw he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1886 and joined his father's law firm.
Watson campaigned for Republican candidates throughout the 1880s and moved to Rushville, Indiana in 1893. He was elected as U.S. Representative from Indiana's 4th congressional district in 1894 to the 54th Congress (1895–1897), defeating the incumbent Democratic William S. Holman, in part by speaking German, the language of many of his constituents.
He was defeated by Holman in 1896, but was elected from Indiana's 6th congressional district in 1898 to the 56th Congress and reelected to the 57th, 58th, 59th and 60th Congresses (1899–1909).
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