Thomas Riley Marshall (1854 - 1925)

Born 14 Mar 1854 in North Manchester, Wabash, Indiana

Ancestors

Husband of Lois Irene (Kimsey) Marshall — married 2 Oct 1895 in Indianapolis, Wabash, Indiana

Died 1 Jun 1925 at age 71 in Washington, District of Columbia

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Preceded by
James S. Sherman

28th Vice President of the United States
1913 - 1921

Succeeded by
Calvin Coolidge

Preceded by
Frank Hanly

27th Governor
of Indiana
1909 - 1913

Succeeded by
Samuel M. Ralston

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Biography

"Once there were two brothers: one ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice-President... and nothing was ever heard from either of them again." - Thomas R. Marshall

Thomas Marshall is Notable.

Perhaps the most popular vice president in history, Thomas Riley Marshall was born on Mar. 14, 1854 in North Manchester, Indiana to Daniel Miller Marshall and Martha Ann Patterson.^[1]

Graduating from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1873, Thomas Marshall studied law in Fort Wayne and was admitted to the bar in 1875, He then practiced law in Columbia City, Indiana.

Thomas married Lois Irene Kimsey on Oct. 2, 1895 in Steuben County, Indiana.^[2]

27th Governor of Indiana

He ran for political office once and lost. He did not run again for twenty years until he was asked to run for Governor in 1908. As governor, Thomas Marshall opposed capital punishment, Prohibition and voting rights for women.

28th US Vice President under Woodrow Wilson

In 1912, Governor Marshall was chosen as Woodrow Wilson's running mate. They won a three-way race against incumbents William Taft and the recently deceased James Sherman and third party candidates, Theodore Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson.

Thomas became popular across the nation for his dry humor. After listening to Kansas Senator, Joseph Bristow deliver a speech on the needs of the county, Marshall remarked loudly, "What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar." The newspapers quickly captured this quote and Marshall was forever immortalized.

Marshall Refuses the Presidency

In 1919, President Wilson suffered a paralytic stroke. The cabinet advised Marshall to assume the presidency, but Marshall declined. At the time, there was no provision in the Constitution for the removal of an incapacitated president, so Marshall may have thought such a move would set a bad precedent, possibly dividing the government and the nation. The 25th Amendment, allowing the vice-president to assume the presidency if the president was rendered incapable, was not passed until February 1967.

After his term was over, Marshall was asked what he would do next. He replied, "I don't want to work. I don't propose to work. I wouldn't mind being vice president again!"

Marshall Returns to Indiana

Thomas returned to Indiana and opened a law practice in Indianapolis. He spent time writing books on the law and wrote a humorous memoir entitled, "Recollections" (1925).

"I make no pretense to accuracy. I shall be quite content if the sensibilities of no one are wounded by anything I may reduce to type." - Thomas R. Marshall

When he was visiting Washington, D. C. to give a speech, Thomas Riley Marshall suffered a heart attack and died on Jun. 1, 1925.^[3] He is buried in the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas Riley Marshall, 1925.
2. ↑ Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas R Marshall and Lois I Kimsey, 02 Oct 1895; citing , Steuben, Indiana, county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,872,320.
3. ↑ District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1961, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas Riley Marshall, 1925.
4. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 26491178

See also:

• United States Senate: Thomas Riley Marshall

• United States Census, 1870, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas R Marshall in household of Daniel M Marshall, Indiana, United States; citing p. 6, family 52, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,831.

• United States Census, 1900, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas R Marshall, Columbia Township Columbia city Ward 1-3, Whitley, Indiana, United States; citing sheet 26B, family 647, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,414.

• United States Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas Marshall, 1910.

• United States Census, 1920, database with images, FamilySearch Thomas R Marshall, Indianapolis Ward 8, Marion, Indiana, United States; citing sheet 16A, family 394, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,453.

• Wikidata: Item Q299001, en:Wikipedia