Charles Henry Dietrich

Charles Henry Dietrich (November 26, 1853 – April 10, 1924) was the 11th Governor of Nebraska.

Charles Henry Dietrich
United States Senator
from Nebraska
In office
May 1, 1901 – March 3, 1905
Preceded byWilliam V. Allen
Succeeded byElmer Burkett
11th Governor of Nebraska
In office
January 3, 1901 – May 1, 1901
LieutenantEzra P. Savage
Preceded byWilliam A. Poynter
Succeeded byEzra P. Savage
Personal details
Born(1853-11-26)November 26, 1853
Aurora, Illinois
DiedApril 10, 1924(1924-04-10) (aged 70)
Hastings, Nebraska
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican

He was born in Aurora, Illinois, and was of German ancestry.[1] His education was attained in the public schools of his native state and he quit at the age of twelve.[2]

Dietrich was married twice. His first wife, Elizabeth Slaker, died in 1887. After Elizabeth's death, he married Margretta Stewart Shaw in 1909.

Career

Dietrich was employed as a clerk in a hardware store in St. Joseph, Missouri. He moved to Chicago, Illinois and engaged in the hardware business. He moved to Deadwood, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota), in 1875 and engaged in mercantile pursuits, delivering goods on pack animals through the Black Hills. He then located and owned the 'Aurora' mine.

Dietrich settled in Hastings, Nebraska, in 1878 and engaged in mercantile pursuits and in banking. Dietrich founded the German National Bank at Hastings and served as the president of the bank from 1887 to 1905.[3] He became the president of the Hastings Board of Trade.[4]

Elected in 1900, Dietrich served as Governor of Nebraska from January 3, 1901 to May 1, 1901. He resigned his governorship to replace interim U.S. Senator William V. Allen, who had been appointed in 1899 after Monroe L. Hayward died in office.[5]

Bribery charge

Before he assumed his Senate seat, Dietrich accepted money from Jacob Fisher in exchange for obtaining Fisher's appointment as a U.S. Postmaster. Dietrich and Fisher were charged with conspiracy to receive a bribe, accepting a bribe and profiting by the leasing of a building to the government. But before the trial could begin, Judge Vandeventer held that Dietrich could not be prosecuted because the alleged bribery occurred after he was elected, but before Dietrich had been sworn in on December 2, 1901. All the charges were dropped, and Dietrich continued to serve as a US Senator from Nebraska.[6][7][8][9]

His tenure in the Senate lasted from May 1, 1901 to March 3, 1905. His Senate service was most notable as a pro-imperialist on the Lodge Committee that investigated war crimes during the Philippine–American War. He did not run for reelection in 1904.

Death

Dietrich retired in 1905 and died in Hastings, Nebraska.

References
  1. "German ancestry Politicians in Nebraska". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  2. Charles Henry Dietrich. The Encyclopedia of Nebraska. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. "Charles Henry Dietrich". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  4. Gov. Charles Dietrich papers at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
  5. Charles Henry Dietrick. The Encyclopedia of Nebraska. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  6. https://cdnc.ucr.edu | Senator Detrich's Trial Comes to Sudden Ending, San Francisco Call, Volume 95, Number 40, 9 January 1904
  7. http://archives.chicagotribune.com Dietrich Wins in First Fight, The Chicago Daily Tribune: Tuesday, January 5, 1904, page 14,
  9. | San Francisco Call, Volume 95, Number 40, 9 January 1904 |


Party political offices
Preceded by
Monroe Hayward		 Republican nominee for Governor of Nebraska
1900		 Succeeded by
John H. Mickey
Political offices
Preceded by
William A. Poynter		 Governor of Nebraska
January 1901 – May 1901		 Succeeded by
Ezra P. Savage
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
William V. Allen		 U.S. senator (Class 1) from Nebraska
1901–1905
Served alongside: Joseph H. Millard		 Succeeded by
Elmer J. Burkett
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