Thaddeus Horatius Caraway is Born

Today in Masonic History Thaddeus Horatius Caraway is born in 1871.

Thaddeus Horatius Caraway was an American politician.

Caraway was born on October 17th, 1871 near Springhill, Missouri. When he was only 6 months old his father was assassinated in a feud. This left the family destitute. Starting at the age of 7 Caraway worked as a farm hand, for the railroad, as a farm tenant and share cropper. He also studied at night and attended common schools in his youth. At the age of 12, he moved with his family to Clay County, Arkansas. In 1896 he graduated from Dickson College in Tennessee.

After graduating, Caraway taught in rural schools until 1899. At the same time he studied the law and was admitted to the bar in 1900. Over the next three years he moved around Arkansas and opened a new practice everywhere he moved. In 1902 he married Hattie Wyatt.

In 1908, Caraway became the served as the prosecuting attorney in Arkansas's second judicial circuit. He served as the prosecuting attorney until 1912 when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served in the House of Representatives until 1920 when he ran successfully for the United States Senate. He elected to a second term in the United States Senate in 1926.

Caraway was a Wilson Democrat and was strongly opposed to the Harding administration. He was very vocal about the Teapot Dome scandal where the Secretary of the Interior gave rights to oil companies to drill on United States lands without a bid process. This resulted in the Secretary of the Interior of being convicted and sent to jail, the first Cabinet member in United States history to have it happen. This prompted Caraway to push for laws requiring lobbyists to make disclosures about their activities.

Caraway also supported America's entrance into the League of Nations and bonuses for World War I veterans. He supported the 18th Amendment (Prohibition), the 19th Amendment (Women's Suffrage) and the 20th Amendment, which among other things changed the dates of when the Presidential term and Congressional terms begin.

On November 6th, 1931, Caraway passed away form a blood clot. He was still sitting in the United States Senate. The governor of Arkansas appointed Caraway's wife, Hattie to finish the term, making her the second woman to serve in the United States Senate. Hattie went on to win the next election and became the first woman to be elected to the United States Senate.

Caraway's lodge affiliation is unclear. He was a member of Sahara Shrine Temple in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.