Thomas D. Schall

Thomas David Schall (June 4, 1878  December 22, 1935) was an American lawyer and politician. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate from Minnesota. He was initially elected as a Progressive but later joined the Republican Party.

Thomas David Schall
United States Senator
from Minnesota
In office
March 4, 1925  December 22, 1935
Preceded byMagnus Johnson
Succeeded byElmer Austin Benson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 10th district
In office
March 4, 1915  March 3, 1925
Preceded byDistrict Created
Succeeded byGodfrey G. Goodwin
Personal details
Born(1878-06-04)June 4, 1878
Reed City, Michigan
DiedDecember 22, 1935(1935-12-22) (aged 57)
Washington, D.C.
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of Minnesota
William Mitchell College of Law

Schall was born in Reed City, Michigan, and moved with his family to Campbell, Minnesota, in 1884. He initially attended Hamline University, but graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1902, followed by William Mitchell College of Law (then the St. Paul College of Law) in 1904. Three years later, he was blinded by an electrical shock from a cigar lighter.[1]

Schall was elected to the House of Representatives in 1914 and served from March 4, 1915, to March 3, 1925, in the 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, and 68th congresses. As he was legally blind, he was granted, by House vote, a full-time page to assist him with his work.[2]

After losing the Republican primary for a special election to the Senate in 1923, Schall was elected to the Senate in 1924, defeating Magnus Johnson with 46% of the vote. He served from March 4, 1925, until his death, in the 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, and 73rd congresses. He had a tough re-election campaign in 1930, facing strong candidates from both the Democratic and Farmer Labor parties, and eventually won with 37% of the vote.

Schall was struck by a hit and run driver while walking across the Baltimore–Washington Parkway in Cottage City, Maryland, on December 19, 1935. He died in Washington three days later, becoming one of few United States Senators or Congressmen to die in a road accident while in office. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.[1]

See also

References

George Daniel Harden, The Career of Thomas Schall of Minnesota, unpublished M.S. thesis, Winona State University, Winona, Minn., 1968.

  1. "SCHALL, Thomas David - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  2. "Thanked by Blind Member," New York Times, Jan. 29 1916. Link to .pdf text


Party political offices
Preceded by
J. A. O. Preus
Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Minnesota
(Class 2)

1924, 1930
Succeeded by
Guy V. Howard
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
Magnus Johnson
U.S. senator (Class 2) from Minnesota
19251935
Served alongside: Henrik Shipstead
Succeeded by
Elmer Austin Benson
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
District Created
U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 10th congressional district
19151925
Succeeded by
Godfrey G. Goodwin
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