James Gillett

For the Texas Ranger, seeJames B. Gillett.

James Norris Gillett
22ndGovernor of California
In office January 9, 1907 – January 3, 1911
Lieutenant	Warren R. Porter
Preceded by	George Pardee
Succeeded by	Hiram Johnson
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's1stdistrict
In office March 4, 1903 – November 4, 1906
Preceded by	Frank Coombs
Succeeded by	William F. Englebright
Member of theCalifornia Senate from the1stdistrict
In office January 4, 1897 – January 1, 1901
Preceded by	Frank McGowan
Succeeded by	Thomas H. Selvage
Personal details
Born	(1860-09-20)September 20, 1860 Viroqua, Wisconsin,U.S.
Died	April 20, 1937(1937-04-20)(aged 76) Berkeley, California,U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Adelaide Pratt, Isabella Erzgraber
Children	7
Profession	Lawyer,politician

James Norris Gillett(September 20, 1860 – April 20, 1937) was an Americanlawyerandpolitician.ARepublicaninvolved in federal and state politics, Gillett was elected both a member of theU.S. House of Representativesfrom California from March 4, 1903, to November 4, 1906, and as the22ndgovernor of Californiafrom January 9, 1907, to January 3, 1911.

Biography

James Gillett was born inViroqua, Wisconsin,on September 20, 1860. As a young child, Gillett moved with his parents toSparta, Wisconsin,at the age of five. He remained in Sparta for nearly fifteen years, attending the town's grammar and high school. In 1881, Gillett was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar and began a law practice in Sparta shortly afterwards. In the early 1880s, Gillett permanently relocated out of his nativeWisconsinfor theWest,living briefly in both theMontana TerritoryandWashington Territorybefore moving toCalifornia.He settled inEurekain 1884.

Once in Eureka, Gillett joined thestate militiaas a private in the Eureka Guard Company in 1885. Based primarily inSanta Cruz,Gillett's unit would be called into active military service only once, assistingHumboldt Countysheriffs in protecting a local town jail during the height ofSinophobicriots in Eureka.Following the end of his state military service, Gillett quickly resumed his career as a lawyer. In 1890, Gillett became the Eureka City Attorney, holding the position until 1895.

By the mid-1890s, Gillett had become interested in state politics. Running as aRepublican,Gillett was elected to theCalifornia State Senatein the 1896 general elections. After serving a single term in the State Senate, Gillett successfully ran for theU.S. House of Representativesin the1902 House elections.He successfully defended his seat again in the1904 elections.

Private Gillett (marked by "11" ) while serving in the Eureka Guards inSanta Cruzin August 1885.

Gillett's success in Washington was noticed by state Republicans and lobbyists for theSouthern Pacific Railroad,who saw Gillett's politics as supporting their own corporate interests. Attending the state Republican convention inSanta Cruzin 1906,party machineBossAbe Ruefsought to replace incumbentGovernorGeorge Pardeewith Gillett for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Pardee, a physician and staunchProgressiveandconservationistpolitician, openly opposed the Southern Pacific's monopoly over cargo and transportation, believing its business influence harmful to the state's economy and politics. In backroom deals, Southern Pacific lobbyists, including Ruef and Southern Pacific political bureau chiefWilliam Herrin,persuaded the attending Republican delegates to refuse Pardee renomination, instead handing the nomination to the railroad-friendly Gillett.In response to their support, Gillett promised the Southern Pacific waterfront patronage.

The denying of Pardee's renomination caused immediate controversy and outrage. Pardee, due to his efficient bureaucracy and direction of the state government's response to the1906 San Francisco earthquake,remained an enormously popular politician. His replacement by Gillett, a Railroad Republican, caused anger both in the press and within political circles. TheSan Francisco Callprinted a photograph taken at the convention's end of Gillett among top party Boss es entitled "the Shame of California."Gillett's nomination by special interests would fuel calls for adirect primarylaw in the state.

Despite his highly controversial nomination, Gillett would win the governorship in the 1906 general elections, defeatingDemocratTheodore A. Bell,SocialistAustin Lewis,ProhibitionistJames H. Blanchard, andWilliam Langdonof theIndependence League.Langdon's strong third-place showing of 14.4% sapped votes away from both the popular contenders Gillett and Bell, yet enough to tip the balance in Gillett's favor.

Following his successful election, Gillett resigned from hisU.S. Houseseat.

Governorship

Inaugurated on January 9, 1907, as the 22ndgovernor of California,Gillett's agenda included the construction of more transcontinental railroads betweenCaliforniaand theEast.In addition, Gillett, like his predecessorPardee,encouraged theCalifornia State Legislatureto debate thedirect primary,though remained vague on his support for any such law.Gillett also included within his agenda the expansion of harbors, especially in the case of thePort of San Franciscofollowing the 1906 firestorm, to keep up with the state's expanding commerce and ongoing population boom. Gillett also pushed bills through theLegislatureto create state measures assisting federal food safety laws, particularly for the expanding fruit andCalifornia wineindustries.

AGeorge Herrimancartoon featuring Gillett as amulesurrounded by prominentSouthern Pacificlobbyists in 1906. Herriman frequently depicted Gillett as a mule.

During his governorship, Gillett encouraged and signed laws to reform stateparoleguidelines, assisting prisoners to more quickly reform themselves and return as productive members of society. In 1907, he signed landmark amendments to the state's Poison Act prohibiting the sale of opium and cocaine except by a doctor's prescription, setting the stage for the state Board of Pharmacy to launch an aggressive crackdown on narcotics and Chinese smoking opium seven years before theHarrison Act.In 1909, Gillett passed the state's firsteugenicslaw, making it legal for state officials to sterilize mental patients considered clinically insane, prisoners exhibiting sexual or moral perversions, and anyone with more than three criminal convictions.The law was passed unanimously in theAssembly,and had one dissenting vote in theSenate.Some 19,000 people were sterilized between 1909 and 1950, when eugenics became generally disfavored by the medical profession due to its connections withNazi Germany.

Asautomobilesbecame more common along California's roads, Gillett agreed with the Legislature to pass the State Highway Bond Act of 1909. The act, which created a bond worth $18 million, effectively established theCalifornia state highway system.The system would collectively organize state roads, numbering them sequentially, and provide greater funds for maintenance and expansion.

Gillett's governorship, however, remained continually marred with controversy due to his Republican nomination byparty machinebusiness interests. Writing inThe Los Angeles Examiner,influential cartoonistGeorge Herrimancontinually depicted Governor Gillett as amuleforSouthern Pacificinterests. Indeed, while in office, Gillett appealed to the railroads to not levy excessive charges on shipping companies and municipalities, yet still warmly welcomed their economic and political presence in the state.His warm relations with the Southern Pacific led in part to risingProgressiveanger within stateRepublicanranks, culminating in the election ofHiram Johnsonand a large number of like-minded Progressive state legislators in the 1910 elections.

By 1910, Gillett was falling quickly into financial trouble, and decided not to seek re-election. Privately, however, it is believed that his wife, Isabella, did not want Gillett to continue the governorship.

Post governorship

Following his departure from the Governor's Office, Gillett opened a law practice inSan Francisco.From 1916 to 1920, Gillett worked inWashington, D.C.,as an attorney and lobbyist for the San Francisco-basedAssociated Oil Companyand the Oil Industry Association. Gillett's lobbying in theU.S. Congresshelped secure passage of the Oil Leasing Bill in 1920, which pertained to leases in the naval petroleum reserves. Gillett would go on to represent many oil industry companies and individuals in oil lease matters.Throughout the 1920s Gillett completed over twenty years' work in obtaining compensation for the owners and crews of sailing vessels seized by theU.S. federal governmentin theBering Seabetween 1886 and 1894.

Gillett retired from the law practice in 1929, only to begin a new practice in 1934 inOaklandwith his son, James Gillett Jr.

Gillett died April 20, 1937, inBerkeleyat the age of 76.

External links

• Works by or about James Gillettat theInternet Archive
• James Norris Gillett Collection, 1880-1971.

• United States Congress."James Gillett (id: G000202)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.