Willard Saulsbury, Jr.

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = Willard Saulsbury,
honorific-suffix = Jr.


imagesize =
small

office = U. S. Senator from Delaware
term_start = March 4 1913
term_end = March 3 1919
predecessor = Harry A. Richardson
successor = L. Heisler Ball
order2 = 80th President pro tempore of the United States Senate
term_start2 = December 14, 1916
term_end2 = March 4, 1919
vicepresident2 =
viceprimeminister2 =
deputy2 =
president2 =
primeminister2 =
predecessor2 = James Paul Clarke
successor2 = Albert B. Cummins
birth_date = birth date|1861|4|17|mf=y
birth_place = Georgetown, Delaware
death_date = death date and age|1927|2|20|1861|4|17
death_place = Wilmington, Delaware
spouse = May du Pont
party = Democratic
residence = Wilmington, Delaware
alma_mater = University of Virginia
occupation =
profession = lawyer
religion = Episcopalian

Willard Saulsbury, Jr. (April 17 1861 – February 20 1927) was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.

Early life and family

Saulsbury was born April 17 1861 in Georgetown, Delaware, son of Willard Saulsbury, Sr., and nephew of Eli M. Saulsbury. He attended private schools and the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, where he was a member of St. Anthony Hall. Subsequently he studied law, was admitted to the Bar in 1882, and commenced practice in Wilmington, Delaware.

He was president of the New Castle Bar Association and chairman of the board of censors. He continued the practice of law in Wilmington and Washington, D.C. until his death.

Political career

Saulsbury was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1908 until 1920, and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator nearly every year, beginning in 1899.

Finally, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1913. During this term, he served with the Democratic majority in the 63rd, 64th, and 65th Congress. He was the President pro tempore of the Senate during the 64th and 65th Congress. In the 63rd, 64th, and 65th Congress he was Chairman of the Committee on Coast and Insular Survey, and in the 65th Congress he was also a member of the Committee on Pacific Inlands and Puerto Rico. In the second popular election of a U.S. Senator in Delaware in 1918, he lost to Republican L. Heisler Ball, a former U.S. Senator. In all, he served from March 4 1913, until March 4 1919, during the administration of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

After leaving the United States Senate, he was a member of the advisory committee of the Conference on Limitation of Armaments in Washington, D.C. in 1921 and 1922, and a member of the Pan American Conference in Santiago, Chile in 1923.

Death and legacy

Saulsbury died February 20 1927 in Wilmington, Delaware and is buried at Christ Episcopal Church.

Public offices

Before 1913, the Delaware General Assembly elected the U.S. Senators for a term of six years and took office March 4th. Afterwards they were popularly elected.