Lewis B. Schwellenbach
| Lewis B. Schwellenbach | |
|---|---|
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach arriving at the White House for a Cabinet meeting
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| 5th United States Secretary of Labor | |
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In office July 1, 1945 – June 10, 1948 |
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| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Frances Perkins |
| Succeeded by | Maurice J. Tobin |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington | |
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In office November 20, 1940 – June 30, 1945 |
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| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | J. Stanley Webster |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Marion Driver |
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United States Senator from Washington |
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In office January 3, 1935 – December 16, 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Clarence Dill |
| Succeeded by | Monrad Wallgren |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach September 20, 1894 Superior, Wisconsin, United States |
| Died | June 10, 1948 (aged 53) Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., United States |
| Resting place | Washelli Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Duffy Schwellenbach |
| Children | No children |
| Parents | Francis William Schwellenbach Martha Baxter Schwellenbach |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Profession | Politician |
| Religion | Anglicanism and later Episcopalian |
Lewis Baxter Schwellenbach (September 20, 1894 – June 10, 1948), was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He was born in Superior, Wisconsin.
Schwellenbach was born on September 20, 1894, in Superior, Wisconsin, to Martha (née Baxter) and Francis William Schwellenbach. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Spokane, Washington. Later he attended the University of Washington and its law school, where he first became active in politics, becoming a Democrat because (according to Time) he could get in on the ground floor, since the state was full of Republicans. He became a lawyer in 1921, gaining some prominence for his unsuccessful defense in a well-publicized murder case.
He had a practice working with and for labor unions, eventually becoming active in businesses that were owned by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. He was a director of the Brotherhood Bank and Trust Company. He became the president of Superior Services Laundry Inc., which eventually failed. He unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Washington in 1932, but he succeeded in winning election to the United States Senate, in 1934. On December 30, 1935, he married Anne Duffy; they had no children.
As a senator, Schwellenbach led the supporters of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation in the Senate. He was an ally of Senators Sherman Minton of Indiana, Joe Guffey of Pennsylvania, and Harry S. Truman — the future president of the United States — of Missouri. The Senate opposition to the new deal was then led by Huey Long of Louisiana, who tried to organize a filibuster campaign against the New Deal.
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