Albert E. Mead

Albert E. Mead ( born December 14, 1861 in Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas, † March 19, 1913 ) was an American politician and from 1905 to 1909, the fifth Governor of the State of Washington.

Early years

Meade attended after elementary school, the Southern Illinois Normal University and then studied law at Union College. After his admission to the bar he practiced his new profession initially from in Wichita. In 1889 he moved to Blaine in Washington State. He soon became politically active in his new home. First, he became mayor of Blaine. Then he was elected to the House of Representatives from Washington. In addition, he was district attorney in Whatcom County. In 1905 he was elected as a Republican candidate for the new governor. The choice he owed mainly to the railway company Great Northern Railroad, which had been used within the Republican party for him. Added to this was the dissatisfaction of the Republicans with their own office up to that Governor Henry McBride. This had created both the railway company as well as in his party too many enemies to be nominated again for the first state office.

Governor of Washington

Mead began his four -year term on January 9, 1905. During his tenure, but he disappointed especially the railroad. Instead of the hoped-for benefits they had to accept higher taxes. In addition, Mead, like its predecessor, the railway committee supported. Against the backdrop of the emerging automotive traffic own road authority ( Highway Commission ) was established, which should take care of the expansion of roads. More new government departments as its own control Commission (State Tax Commission ) and a Banking Authority ( Bank Examiner ) were established. In 1905, another former Indian land for white settlers was released under the Dawes Act called. In Mead's term of office and the prefix principle in public elections was introduced in the state of Washington, which is still used today basically.

Further CV

After Mead had not received his party's nomination for a second term in 1908 and was defeated in the primaries imported by him, he had to resign from his post on 27 January 1909. After the end of his governorship Mead moved back to Bellingham, where he worked as a lawyer. He was also president of the local Chamber of Commerce. Albert Mead died in March 1913. He was married twice and had five children.