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Rice W. Means

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"Senator Means" redirects here. For the Alabama state senate member, seeLarry Means.

Rice William Means
United States Senator
fromColorado
In office
December 1, 1924 – March 3, 1927
Preceded byAlva B. Adams
Succeeded byCharles W. Waterman
Personal details
Born(1877-11-16)November 16, 1877
St. Joseph,Missouri
DiedJanuary 30, 1949(1949-01-30)(aged 71)
Denver,Colorado
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of Michigan Law School

Rice William Means(November 16, 1877 – January 30, 1949) was an American soldier, lawyer, andKu Klux Klanleader. For three years, he was aRepublicanUnited States SenatorfromColorado- serving the remainder of his predecessor's term. He was defeated in the1928 Republican primarybyCharles W. Watermanon a wave of anti-KIan sentiment in the state.

Early life, education, and military service

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Born inSt. Joseph, Missouri,[1]he moved with his parents toYuma County, Coloradoin 1887. He settled inDenverin 1889, and attended the public schools and Sacred Heart College of Denver (now calledRegis University).[2]

During theSpanish–American War,he commanded acompanyin thePhilippinecampaign of 1899, for which he was awarded theDistinguished Service Cross.[3]Means "distinguished himself before the fall of Manila by swimming the Singalon river to reconnoiter the Spanish works", escaping capture when he was spotted.[4]

Returning from the war, he expressed a desire for the United States to permanently incorporate the Philippines, envisioningManilasurpassingHong Kongas a trading center.[4]In 1901, he graduated from the law department of theUniversity of MichiganatAnn Arbor,and was admitted to thebarand commenced practice in Denver. From 1902 to 1904, he was county judge ofAdams County,and in 1908 was an unsuccessful candidate for election to theSixty-first United States Congress.[2]Following this defeat, he was appointed deputy district attorney forAdams County, Colorado.[5]

Means was electedcommander-in-chiefof theArmy of the Philippinesin 1913, and of theVeterans of Foreign Warsin 1914. He served during theFirst World Waras alieutenant colonelandcommandantof the Fortieth Division School of Arms. He commanded the 4th Infantry in theMeuse–Argonne offensive.[3]

Means ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1920, losing the Republican nomination toSamuel D. Nicholson,who would go on to win the seat.[3]He was attorney for the City and County ofDenverin 1923 and 1924.[2]

Political career and later life

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Means was elected as aRepublicanto the United States Senate on November 4, 1924, in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by Nicholson's death.[3]During the campaign, his Democratic opponent nicknamed him "Puffed Rice", but this did not hinder Means' election.[6]

Means was one of several candidates to have ties to the state's Ku Klux Klan organization.[7][8]He served in the Senate from December 1, 1924, to March 3, 1927, chairing the Committee on Claims (Sixty-ninth Congress). During his tenure, he authored legislation deemingArmistice Day(later calledVeterans Day) anational holidayin the United States.[3]While a Senator, Means became directing head of the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado.[9]

In 1926, he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection, as he was again defeated in the Republican primary, this time byCharles W. Waterman,who "rode to victory on the wave of anti-klan sentiment".[9]

From 1926 to 1927, Means was commander in chief of theUnited Spanish War Veterans- bringing his past Klan affiliations into the spotlight. He denied any association with the Klan.[10]In 1927, he became president of the National Tribune Corporation and publisher of theNational TribuneandStars and StripesinWashington, D.C.Means fiercely criticized the FDR administration in response to the enactment of the initialNew Dealmeasures in 1933, declaring them to be the product of "ruthless, vicious propaganda" and "a stain upon the honor of the United States".[11]

Means retired in 1937, and died in Denver on January 30, 1949, following a six-month bout with heart problems.[3]He was interred in Denver'sFairmount Cemetery.[2]

References

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  1. ^"Former Senator Rice Means Dies; Was Born Here".St. Joseph News-Press.January 31, 1949. p. 4.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^abcdUnited States Congress."Rice W. Means".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Archivedfrom the original on October 24, 2012.RetrievedMay 28,2020.
  3. ^abcdef"Rice Means, Former Senator From State, Dies in Denver".Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.Denver. AP. January 31, 1949. p. 1.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ab"A Brave Officer".The St. Joseph Herald.October 1, 1899. p. 5.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^"Herring Decided On As Attorney for the County".The Larimer County Independent.December 2, 1908. p. 11.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^"Herding Senate Flock Too Tough for Warren".Independent Record.December 3, 1924. p. 16.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^"Klan Candidates Lead in Colorado",St. Louis Globe-Democrat(September 10, 1924), p. 5.
  8. ^Chalmers, David (1965)."The Ku Klux Klan In Politics In The 1920's".The Mississippi Quarterly.18(4): 234–247.ISSN0026-637X.JSTOR26473702.
  9. ^ab"Defeat Becomes Overwhelming as Belated Returns Come In; Anti-Klan Majorities Mount".Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.Denver. September 16, 1926. p. 8.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^"SENATOR MEANS NOT A KLANSMAN, HE SAYS; Replies to His Critics at Spanish War Veterans' Reception -- Visits City Hall".The New York Times.February 24, 1927.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJuly 7,2024.
  11. ^Ortiz, Stephen R. (2010).Beyond the Bonus March and GI Bill: How Veteran Politics Shaped the New Deal Era.New York University Press.p. 87.ISBN9780814762134.Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2024.RetrievedJune 6,2020– via Google Books.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republicannominee forU.S. SenatorfromColorado
(Class 3)
1924 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Colorado
1924–1927 		Succeeded by
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