David John Lewis

American politician (1869–1952)

For other people named David Lewis, see David Lewis (disambiguation).

David John Lewis

Lewis (c. 1911)

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maryland's 6th district
In office
March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1939
Preceded by| Frederick Nicholas Zihlman
Succeeded by| William Devereux Byron
In office
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917
Preceded by| George Alexander Pearre
Succeeded by| Frederick Nicholas Zihlman
Personal details
Born| (1869-05-01)May 1, 1869
Nutals Bank, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Died| August 12, 1952(1952-08-12) (aged 83)
Cumberland, Maryland
Resting place| Hill Crest Cemetery
Political party| Democratic
Known for| Introducing the Social Security Act to the House Of Representatives
Signature|

David John Lewis (May 1, 1869 – August 12, 1952) was an American politician from Maryland, serving in the Maryland State Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

## Early life[edit]

Born near Osceola Mills, Centre County, Pennsylvania, to Welsh immigrants,[1] Lewis worked in the local coal mines from 1878 to 1892.[2] He studied law and Latin in his spare time, was admitted to the bar in 1892, and commenced practice in Cumberland, Maryland.[2][3]

## Political career[edit]

Lewis served as a member of the Maryland State Senate from 1902 to 1906,[2][3] and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for election to the Sixty-first Congress in 1908.[2] In 1910, he was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-second, Sixty-third, and Sixty-fourth Congresses, serving the sixth district of Maryland from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1917.[2][3] During the Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth Congresses, he served as chairman of the House Committee on Labor.[2] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1916, but was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for election to the United States Senate.[2]

President Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law, August 14, 1935. (Lewis at far right)

From April 1917 to March 1925, Lewis was a member of the United States Tariff Commission.[2] He was again an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 1922, and resumed the practice of law in Cumberland.[2] He was again elected to the Seventy-second and to the three succeeding Congresses, serving the sixth district of Maryland from March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1939, but was not a candidate for renomination in 1938, having run for senator, challenging incumbent Millard Tydings in the Democratic primary.[2] Lewis was more sympathetic to the New Deal than Tydings and won the backing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nevertheless, his third bid for the Senate was again unsuccessful, and instead he served as a member of the National Mediation Board from 1939 to 1943.[2] He died in Cumberland on August 12, 1952, and is interred in Hillcrest Cemetery.[3]

## Social Security Act[edit]

David John Lewis was the leading expert on social insurance legislation on the House Ways & Means Committee. He introduced the Social Security bill into the House on January 17, 1935.[3][4] However, Chairman Doughton, exercising what he took to be the Chairman's privileges, made a copy of Lewis' bill and submitted it himself.[4] Then he persuaded the House clerk to give him a lower number than Lewis' copy.[4] Newspapers then began calling the bill "The Wagner-Doughton bill."[4] When Lewis found out, he sputtered and swore, then went to work to understand every sentence and master the arguments in favor of the bill.[4] And when David Lewis walked down the aisle of the House to debate on the bill's behalf, he received a standing ovation.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "United States Census, 1880", FamilySearch, retrieved March 30, 2018
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Congress, United States (2005). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First Through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, Inclusive. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1390\. ISBN 978-0-87289-124-1.
3. ^ a b c d e "Let's remember David J. Lewis". The Cumberland Times-News. August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
4. ^ a b c d e f Eliot, Thomas H. (August 1, 1960). "The Social Security Bill: 25 Years After". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 18, 2020.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David John Lewis.

* United States Congress. "David John Lewis (id: L000277)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
* Signing the Social Security Act of 1935

Party political offices

Preceded by

Blair Lee I

|  Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Maryland
(Class 1)
1916 | Succeeded by

William Cabell Bruce

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

George Alexander Pearre

|  Representative of the 6th Congressional District of Maryland
1911–1917  | Succeeded by

Frederick Nicholas Zihlman

Preceded by

Frederick Nicholas Zihlman

|  Representative of the 6th Congressional District of Maryland
1931–1939  | Succeeded by

William Devereux Byron

* v
* t
* e

Chairs of the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Education and Labor
(1867–1883)|

* Baker
* Cary
* Arnell
* Perce
* Monroe
* Walker
* Goode
* Updegraff
* Sherwin

Education
(1883–1947)|

* Aiken
* Candler
* O'Donnell
* Hayes
* Brunner
* Enloe
* Grow
* Southwick
* Burke
* Lever
* Hughes
* Sears
* Fess
* Dallinger
* Reed
* Douglass
* Palmisano
* Larrabee
* Barden

Labor
(1883–1947)|

* Hopkins
* O'Neill
* Wade
* Tarsney
* McGann
* Phillips
* Gardner
* Wilson
* Lewis
* Maher
* Smith
* Nolan
* Zihlman
* Kopp
* Welch
* Connery
* Norton

Education and Labor*
(1947–)|

* Hartley
* Lesinski
* Barden
* McConnell
* Barden
* Powell
* Perkins
* Hawkins
* Ford
* Goodling
* Boehner
* McKeon
* Miller
* Kline
* Foxx
* Scott
* Foxx

Note|

* Alternately named Economic and Educational Opportunities in 104th Congress and Education and the Workforce in 105th through 109th and 112th through 115th Congresses.

* v
* t
* e

Maryland's delegation(s) to the 62nd–64th & 72nd–74th United States Congresses (ordered by seniority)

| 62nd |

Senate:

* ▌I. Rayner (D)
* ▌J. Smith (D)

* ▌W. Jackson (R)

House:

* ▌J. Talbott (D)
* ▌J. Covington (D)
* ▌G. Konig (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌J. Linthicum (D)
* ▌T. Parran (R)

|
|

63rd |

Senate:

* ▌J. Smith (D)
* ▌W. Jackson (R)

* ▌B. Lee I (D)

House:

* ▌J. Talbott (D)
* ▌J. Covington (D)
* ▌G. Konig (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌J. Linthicum (D)
* ▌F. Smith (D)
* ▌C. Coady (D)
* ▌J. Price (D)

64th |

Senate:

* ▌J. Smith (D)
* ▌B. Lee I (D)

House:

* ▌J. Talbott (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌J. Linthicum (D)
* ▌C. Coady (D)
* ▌J. Price (D)
* ▌S. Mudd II (R)

72nd |

Senate:

* ▌M. Tydings (D)
* ▌P. Goldsborough (R)

House:

* ▌J. Linthicum (D)
* ▌T. Goldsborough (D)
* ▌S. Gambrill (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌V. Palmisano (D)
* ▌W. Cole (D)
* ▌A. Kennedy (D)

73rd |

Senate:

* ▌M. Tydings (D)
* ▌P. Goldsborough (R)

House:

* ▌T. Goldsborough (D)
* ▌S. Gambrill (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌V. Palmisano (D)
* ▌W. Cole (D)
* ▌A. Kennedy (D)

74th |

Senate:

* ▌M. Tydings (D)
* ▌G. Radcliffe (D)

House:

* ▌T. Goldsborough (D)
* ▌S. Gambrill (D)
* ▌D. Lewis (D)
* ▌V. Palmisano (D)
* ▌W. Cole (D)
* ▌A. Kennedy (D)

Authority control databases

International|

* FAST
* VIAF

National|

* United States

People|

* US Congress

Other|

* SNAC

*[c.]: circa
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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