Southern Statesman: Lee S. Overman of North Carolina By Ray Hill Lee Slater Overman was a fixture in North Carolina politics from the turn of the century until his death. White-haired and portly, Overman dressed the part of a Southern statesman and was an adept...

Owen Brewster of Maine By Ray Hill Ralph Owen Brewster was a fixture in Maine politics for decades.  A frequently controversial figure, Brewster was elected to every important office within the gift of the people of Maine.  Owen Brewster was one of the few individuals...

A Senate Tragedy: The Death of Lester Hunt By Ray Hill It is not highly unusual for political contests to bring out the absolute worst in an individual or individuals.  Perhaps it is not as omnipresent as much as many cynical members of the public suspect, but...

Utah Maverick: Senator William H. King By Ray Hill Anyone who reads history is thoroughly acquainted with one indisputable fact: things change.  Today the State of Utah is ruby red in its voting habits.  That was not always the case.  William Henry King served as both...

Senatorial Scion Frederick Hale of Maine By Ray Hill Few individuals come to the United States Senate and fewer still come with the pristine pedigree of Frederick Hale.  The son of a long-serving member of the United States Senate, Frederick Hale was the heir to a...

Republican Leader: Wallace White of Maine Wallace Humphrey White Jr. is little remembered today, but at one time he was the leader of Senate Republicans, at least in name.  White could easily have come right out of central casting in Hollywood to play the role of a...

The Strong Man of North Carolina F.M. Simmons By Ray Hill It would surprise me greatly if one reader out of a thousand knew the name of Furnifold McLendel Simmons.  Long ago consigned to the pages of history, there was a time when F. M. Simmons was the most potent...

Maine’s ‘Mr. Democrat’ Louis Jefferson Brann By Ray Hill Years ago, Maine was one of the most reliably Republican states in the nation. While Democrats there weren’t quite as rare as Republicans were in the South at the time, they were used to losing elections. Even...

Judge Mansfield of Texas By Ray Hill Joseph Jefferson Mansfield was originally christened “Beauregard” but as his father, born in 1807, died fighting for the Confederacy the younger Mansfield’s name was changed to honor his late father.  A slight man with a full head...