Charles S. Deneen

Charles Samuel Deneen ( born May 4, 1863 in Edwardsville, Illinois, † February 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois ) was an American politician and from 1905 to 1913 the 23 governor of Illinois. He was also a U.S. Senator for Illinois.

Early years and political rise

Charles Deneen attended McKendree College until 1882. He then studied law at Union College and was admitted to the bar in 1886. He then began practicing in Chicago. Deneens political career began in 1892 with his election to the House of Representatives from Illinois. From 1895 to 1896 he was attorney for the city of Chicago and from 1896 to 1904 he was district attorney in Cook County. In 1904, Charles Deneen was nominated by his Republican Party's top candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial elections.

Governor of Illinois

After the successful election Deneen could take up his post on January 9, 1905. Following his successful re-election in 1908, he should officiate a total of eight years. He campaigned for better education policy. Also, a special department in the Ministry of Transport was created, called the Highway Commission, which took care of the expansion of highways. This was done with a view of the emerging automotive traffic. The child labor laws were revised. The maximum working hours for women was set to ten hours a day. This law was but for the time being blocked by the Supreme Court. A fire in a mine in the village of Cherry 259 people lost their lives. As a result, the first rescue fire services for mines were introduced in Illinois. The security measures in the mines have been significantly improved. The first laws to support survivors of accidents or of disability and disabled people adopted the so-called Workmen's Compensation Act of 1911. The Starved Rock State Park was placed under the administration of the State of Illinois also in 1911. The population of Illinois had risen to 5.6 million in 1910. For comparison, in 1900 this figure stood at 4.8 million.

U.S. Senator and other life

The attempt to be elected to a third term of office, failed in 1912. Therefore Charles Deneen had to resign from his post on February 3, 1913. He then retired for the next twelve years to Chicago, where he worked as a lawyer again. Between 1925 and 1931 he represented his state in the U.S. Senate in Washington. He was chairman of the Committee for expenditure control. Since he was not nominated for re-election in 1930 he resigned from the U.S. Congress on March 3, 1931. After he retired finally retired from politics. He practiced again in Chicago, where he died in 1940. Deneen was married to Bina Day Maloney. Together they had four children.