Garret Hobart

Infobox_Vice_President | name=Garret Hobart
nationality=American


order=24th Vice President of the United States
term_start=March 4, 1897
term_end=November 21, 1899
predecessor=Adlai E. Stevenson
successor=Theodore Roosevelt
order2=President of the New Jersey State Senate
term_start2=1881
term_end2=1881
order3=Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
term_start3=1874
term_end3=1874
birth_date=birth date|1844|6|3|mf=y
birth_place= Long Branch, New Jersey
death_date=death date and age|mf=yes|1899|11|21|1844|06|03
death_place=Paterson, New Jersey
spouse=Jennie Tuttle Hobart
party=Republican
alma_mater=Rutgers College
president=William McKinley

Garret Augustus Hobart (June 3, 1844 – November 21, 1899) was the twenty-fourth Vice President of the United States.

Biography

He was born in Long Branch, New Jersey to Sophia Vanderveer and Addison Willard Hobart, a descendant in the eighth generation of English immigrant to Massachusetts. Edmund Hobart (1573-1646) [ [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=EFvXl1EtBmoC&dq=%22solomon+lincoln%22+history+of+hingham&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=f-qIxiRnIv&sig=KMWt-0vxRSW6b8JabzLdBlchwXo&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA42,M1 History of the Town of Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Solomon Lincoln, Hingham, 1827] ] , and grew up in Marlboro Township.Fact|date=March 2008 He graduated from Rutgers College in 1863 and was a member of The Delta Phi Fraternity. He was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Paterson.

Hobart served in the Paterson city council in 1871 before serving in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1872 to 1876, serving as speaker in 1874. He was a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1876 to 1882, serving as its president in 1881. He represented Passaic County. [ [http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/NJ/ofc/stsen1880s.html The Political Graveyard: New Jersey: State Senate, 1880s ] ]

In addition, he served in various positions in the Republican Party: chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, 1880–1891, [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06E4DF133CEE3ABC4D51DFBE66838B699FDE "New-Jersey Organizing; A Committee Of Seven To Map Out The Campaign"] . "The New York Times", August 25, 1880. Accessed March 31, 2008] [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9907E5DC1339E033A25751C1A96F9C94609ED7CF "John Kean Elected Chairman"] . "The New York Times", September 12, 1891. Accessed March 31, 2008] and the New Jersey member of the Republican National Committee, 1884–1896. He also failed in his bid for the United States Senate in 1884. [ [http://www.owingsstone.com/getperson.php?personID=I15198&tree=owingsstone Garret Hobart, Vice Pres. of US: Owings Stone Family Genealogy — 20,000+ ancestors and their relatives ] ]

Hobart was twice offered, but declined, the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 1892 and 1895. [ [http://www.owingsstone.com/getperson.php?personID=I15198&tree=owingsstone Garret Hobart, Vice Pres. of US: Owings Stone Family Genealogy — 20,000+ ancestors and their relatives ] ]

Hobart was also a prominent and successful businessman and industrialist, who accumulated a large fortune. [ [http://www.nndb.com/people/250/000093968/ Garret A. Hobart ] ]

He was nominated as the Republican candidate for Vice President on the ticket with William McKinley, and was elected in the 1896 presidential election.

He served as Vice President from March 4, 1897 until his death from heart failure in Paterson, New Jersey on November 21, 1899, aged 55.

During his tenure Hobart became one of the McKinleys' friends and his close confidant and adviser. He was called "Assistant to the President". [ [http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/rec/GarretHobart.html Garret Hobart ] ] Because of this and in contrast to the tradition of a powerless Vice Presidency, he is regarded as one of the most powerful Vice Presidents while in office.

In 1899, Hobart became ill. He returned to New Jersey to recover, but instead became worse. He died from heart failure. Following his death, the Vice Presidency remained vacant for more than a year until the inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt to that post in 1901. Hobart is interred in Cedar Lawn Cemetery.

The city of Paterson placed a bronze statue of Hobart in front of its city hall, next to a statue of Alexander Hamilton. ["IN MR. HOBART'S MEMORY.; Memorial Committee Will Erect a Bronze Statue at Paterson.", "The New York Times", December 30, 1899.]

Personal life

Hobart married Esther Jane "Jennie" Tuttle on July 21, 1869. [ [http://www.nndb.com/people/250/000093968/ Garret A. Hobart ] ]

During his tenure as Vice President, his wife frequently performed the duties of First Lady because Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of President of the United States William McKinley, suffered from epilepsy.

Electoral history

New Jersey United States Senate election, 1884 (by state legislature): [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=310056 Our Campaigns - NJ - US Senate Race - Jan 24, 1883 ] ]
* John R. McPherson (D) (inc.) – 43 (53.09%)
* Garret Hobart (R) – 36 (44.44%)
* George C. Ludlow (Anti-Monopoly) – 2 (2.47%)

1896 Republican National Convention (Vice Presidential tally): [ [http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=60645 Our Campaigns - US Vice President - R Convention Race - Jun 16, 1896 ] ]
* Garret Hobart – 524 (56.65%)
* Henry Clay Evans – 288 (31.14%)
* Morgan Bulkeley – 39 (4.22%)
* Abstaining – 31 (3.35%)
* James Alexander Walker – 24 (2.60%)
* Henry Lippitt – 8 (0.87%)
* Chauncey M. Depew – 3 (0.32%)
* Thomas B. Reed – 3 (0.32%)
* Frederick Dent Grant – 2 (0.22%)
* John Thurston – 2 (0.22%)
* Levi P. Morton – 1 (0.11%)

United States presidential election, 1896
* William McKinley/Garret Hobart (R) – 7,112,138 (51.0%) and 271 electoral votes (23 states carried)
* William Jennings Bryan/Arthur Sewall/Thomas E. Watson (D/P) – 6,508,172 (46.7%) and 176 electoral votes (22 states carried)
NOTE: Bryan was nominated by both the Democrats and Populists; Sewall was his Democratic running-mate, while Watson was his Populist running-mate.

Trivia

* Like Hobart, his Democratic opponent in 1896 election, Arthur Sewall, was a wealthy eastern industrialist and never held any major political office (Hobart was a state legislature leader before he was elevated to national office; Sewall never held any office)
* Hobart rose from president of the state senate to Vice President of the United States and held no office between, one of the quickest advances in a political career
* Hobart, one of the least known Vice Presidents, was succeeded by one of the best known Vice Presidents (and Presidents) Theodore Roosevelt. If Hobart had lived longer and been renominated in 1900, he would have become President upon McKinley's assassination
* The town of Hobart, Oklahoma is named in his honor. Hobart was the current Vice President when the town was founded.

References

External links

* [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Garret_Hobart.htm U.S. Senate biography]
*CongBio|H000660
* [http://www.owingsstone.com/getperson.php?personID=I15198&tree=owingsstone Owings Stone biography]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Hobart&GScid=99919&GRid=2769& Garret Hobart] at Find A Grave
* [http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/rec/GarretHobart.html History Central biography]
* [http://www.hobartok.com Hobart, Oklahoma]
* [http://lewica.pl/?id=15208 Article about Hobart and his role as V.P. (Polish)]

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