Ira Clifton Copley

Ira Clifton Copley (* October 25, 1864 in Galesburg, Illinois, † November 1, 1947 in Aurora, Illinois ) was an American politician. Between 1911 and 1923 he represented the state of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Ira Copley was the nephew of Congressman Richard H. Whiting ( 1826-1888 ). Already in 1867 he came with his parents to Aurora, where he attended the public schools and the Jennings Seminary. Then he studied until 1887 at Yale University. This was followed up in 1889 to study law at Union College of Law in Chicago. It is not known whether he has ever worked as a lawyer. Instead, he went into the gas and electricity business. He sat down in 1868 for a gas lighting in Aurora and promoted later, the electric street lighting. Copley was president of several companies in the gas and electric range and was also involved in the construction of electric tramways. Then he turned to the newspaper business and politics. Between 1905 and 1913 he was the owner and editor of several newspapers in Illinois. Politically, he joined the Republican Party.

In the congressional elections of 1910, Copley was in the eleventh electoral district of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of Howard M. Snapp on March 4, 1911. After five re- elections, he was able to complete in Congress until March 3, 1923 six legislative periods. Between 1915 and 1917 he represented there, the Progressive Party. He then returned to the Republicans. During his time in Congress, the First World War fell. Also, were ratified in 1919 and 1920, the 18th and the 19th Amendment. It was about the ban on the trade in alcoholic beverages or the nationwide introduction of women's suffrage. Already in 1913, the 16th and the 17th Amendment was ratified. They were concerned with the direct election of U.S. senators and the nationwide income tax.

In 1922 Ira Copley renounced a new Congress candidacy. After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, he worked again in the newspaper industry. He expanded his operation radius considerably. In addition to Illinois, he was working as a journalist in Southern California. Finally, he published more than a dozen newspapers, including the still appearing in Springfield State Journal-Register. He died on 1 November 1947 in Aurora.