Schuyler Merritt

Schuyler Merritt ( born December 16, 1853 in New York City; † April 1, 1953 in Stamford, Connecticut ) was an American politician. Between 1917 and 1931, and again from 1933 to 1937, he represented the state of Connecticut in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Already in 1855, Schuyler Merritt came with his parents to Stamford, Connecticut. There he attended private schools. Then he studied until 1873 at Yale College and to 1876 at Columbia University in New York law. But he seems not to have practiced as a lawyer. In the following years he worked in the craft of manufacturing of locks and keys. Between 1877 and 1917 he was also engaged in the banking industry.

Politically, Merritt member of the Republican Party. In 1904 he was part of a commission for the revision of the Constitution of Connecticut. Between 1910 and 1916 he was a member of the Education Committee of his country and in 1916 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. After the death of Congressman Ebenezer J. Hill Merritt was in 1917 when the necessary by-election in the fourth electoral district of Connecticut in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC selected. After he was confirmed in the following six regular congressional elections in his mandate, he could initially remain between 6 November 1917 and 3 March 1931 Congress. In this time of the First World War, the nationwide introduction of women's suffrage, the Prohibition Act and the beginning of the world economic crisis in October 1929 fell.

In the elections of 1930, Merritt was defeated by Democrat William L. Tierney. Two years later, in 1932, succeeded Merritt, Tierney to beat in the elections and win back his old seat in Congress. This election victory was against the then national trend in favor of the Democrats. After a re-election in 1934, he could spend in Congress between March 4, 1933 and January 3, 1937 two other legislative periods. These were characterized by the then economic crisis. During this time, many of the New Deal legislation of the Government of the Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt were adopted. Merritt's Republican Party was in opposition to the policies of the president. In the congressional elections of 1936 Merritt lost to Alfred N. Phillips.

After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives Merritt was again active in the economy. He was involved in both the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co. as well as at Stamford National Bank. Schuyler Merritt died on 1 April 1953 at the age of 99 in Stamford; where he was also buried.