Richard J. Baldwin

Richard Jacobs Baldwin was the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1917 to 1918. He was elected to that position after twenty years of service in the house by the Republican organization of Boies Penrose.^[2] He later served a term in the state senate.^[3]

He was born March 1, 1853, in East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and learned the trade of carpenter. At age 23 he entered the mercantile trade first at Belvidere, now Whitford, West Whiteland, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and in 1878 moved to Chadds Ford, Delaware County, where he operated a general store. He was appointed postmaster of Chadds Ford during Benjamin Harrison's administration and in 1901 was elected Recorder of Deeds for Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Springhaven Golf Club of Media, the Brandywine Golf Club of Brandywine Summit, Pennsylvania, and an honorary member of the Media Fire Company. He was a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Improved Order of Red Men, the American Mechanics, and Patrons of Husbandry.^[4]

The Pennsylvania House chamber.

Progressives criticized Baldwin's selection as speaker, noting his "embittered opposition to legislation on local option, child labor, and workmen's compensation."^[5] Baldwin's staunch opposition to progressive reform was such that he was one of only three members of the house to oppose the popular election of senators.^[2]

References

1. ↑ Earl C. Kaylor, Jr., Martin Grove Brumbaugh: A Pennsylvanian's Odyssey from Sainted Schoolman to Bedeviled World War I Governor, 1862–1930 (Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 1996), p. 300.
2. 1 2 Kaylor, Martin Grove Brumbaugh, p. 300.
3. ↑ Richard J. Baldwin at The Political Graveyard, http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/baldwin.html
4. ↑ article "Richard Jacobs Baldwin", in Cope, Gilbert, Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Chester and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company), 1904, pp. 276–277.
5. ↑ The New Republic, January 20, 1917, p. 311.

Speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (since 1791)
Bingham Wynkoop Latimer Evans Weaver Snyder Porter Snyder Boileau Engle Weber Tod R. Smith St. Clair Holgate Hill Davidson Hill J. Lawrence Gilmore J. Lawrence Sutherland Ritner Middleswarth F. Smith Laporte Findley Anderson W. Patterson J. Thompson Middleswarth Dewart Hopkins Crabb Snowden H. Wright Snowden F. Patterson Cooper Packer McCalmont Cessna Rhey Schell Chase Strong R. Wright Getz Longaker W. Lawrence Davis Rowe Cessna Johnson Olmstead Kelley Glass Davis Clark Strang Webb Elliott McCormick S. Patterson Myer Long Hewitt Faunce Graham Boyer C. Thompson Walton Boyer Farr Marshall Walton McClain Cox Shreve Alter Ambler Baldwin Spangler Whitaker Goodnough Bluett McClure Hess Goodnough Talbot Sarig Furman Turner Kilroy Fiss Lichtenwalter Sorg C. Smith Andrews Helm Andrews Helm Hamilton Lee Fineman Lee Fineman Irvis Seltzer Ryan Irvis Manderino O'Donnell DeWeese Ryan Perzel O'Brien McCall S. Smith Turzai