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Joseph E. Ransdell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Eugene Ransdell (October 7, 1858 - July 27, 1954) was a United States Representative and Senator from Louisiana. Born in Alexandria, Louisiana, he attended the public schools and graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1882. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1883 and practiced in Lake Providence, the seat of East Carroll Parish in far northeastern Louisiana, from 1883-1889. He was district attorney for the 8th Judicial District of Louisiana from 1884 - 1896. He was also a planter of cotton and pecan groves. He was a member of the Fifth Levee District Board from 1896-1899. He was a member of the State constitutional convention in 1898.
Ransdell was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel T. Baird; he was reelected to the Fifty-seventh and to the five succeeding Congresses, having served from August 29, 1899, to March 3, 1913. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1912, having become a candidate for the U.S. Senate, to which he was elected in 1912 and reelected in 1918 in a disputed outcome. He defeated future U.S. Senator John H. Overton of Alexandria. He was also successful in 1924. He served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1931; he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1930. While in Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Mississippi River and Its Tributaries (Sixty-sixth Congress).
In 1920 founded a printing firm in Washington, D.C., and served as a director until 1931 when he returned to Lake Providence. He engaged in the real estate business, cotton planting, and pecan growing and was a member of the board of supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural College at Baton Rouge from 1940 to 1944. He died in Lake Providence in 1954; interment was in Lake Providence Cemetery.
The definitive biography of Ransdell was written in 1951 by Adras LaBorde, (1912-1993), long-time managing editor of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk.
| Preceded by Samuel Baird |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 5th congressional district August 29, 1899–March 3, 1913 |
Succeeded by James Elder |
| Preceded by Murphy Foster |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Louisiana March 4, 1913–March 3, 1931 Served alongside: John Thornton, Robert F. Broussard, Walter Guion, Edward Gay, Edwin Broussard |
Succeeded by Huey Long |
| Preceded by Robert Owen |
Oldest living U.S. Senator July 19, 1947-July 27, 1954 |
Succeeded by Lawrence Phipps |
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| Class 2: Destréhan • Posey • Brown • Claiborne • Johnson • Bouligny • Livingston • Waggaman • Nicholas • Barrow • Soulé • Downs • Benjamin • Harris • West • Kellogg • Gibson • Caffery • Foster • Ransdell • H. Long • R.M. Long • Ellender • Edwards • J.B. Johnston • Landrieu Class 3: Magruder • Fromentin • Brown • J.S. Johnston • Porter • Mouton • Conrad • Johnson • Soulé • Slidell • Kellogg • Eustis • Jonas • Eustis • White • Blanchard • McEnery • Thornton • R. Broussard • Guion • Gay • E. Broussard • Overton • Feazel • R.B. Long • Breaux • Vitter |
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