William J. McConnell

William John McConnell ( born September 18, 1839 in Commerce, Oakland County, Michigan; † 30 March 1925 Moscow, Idaho ) was an American politician and 1893-1897 Governor of the State of Idaho. Between 1890 and 1891 he represented his state in the U.S. Senate.

Early years and political rise

William McConnell attended the public schools of his home in Michigan. In 1860 he moved to California where he worked in the mining, animal husbandry, trade and banking. From 1862 to 1863 he was a teacher in Yamhill County in Oregon. Between 1865 and 1867 he was Deputy U.S. Marshal in Idaho Territory. He then moved back to Oregon, where he worked in the livestock. McConnell joined the Republican Party. In 1882 he was a member and President of the Senate of Oregon. In 1886 he returned to the present-day Idaho, where he settled in the city of Moscow and worked as a trader. In 1890 he was a member of the Constituent Assembly of Idaho.

U.S. Senator and Governor

After Idaho State was joined as the United States, McConnell was elected as the first Class 3 Senator in Congress. There he served with George Laird Shoup, who occupied the other Senate seat of the new state. McConnell was able to exercise a mandate only from 18 December 1890 to 3 March 1891. On this day, ended the period of office of the Class 3 Senators and McConnell had not applied for a further term of office.

In 1892 he was elected as a candidate of his party for Governor of Idaho. After a re-election in 1894 he was able to hold that office between January 1, 1893 to January 4, 1897. During his tenure, women's suffrage for Idaho was decided and built two new state schools. A new law regulated the irrigation rights in the state and the workers were legally granted the right to become members of trade unions.

Further CV

After the end of his governorship William McConnell was appointed by President William McKinley to the Indian Commissioner of the Federal Government. He held 1897-1901 this post. Since 1909 until his death in 1925 he was employed by the immigration authorities in Moscow. With his wife Louisa Brown William McConnell had five children.

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