Samuel Dillon Jackson
United States Senator
from Indiana
In office
January 28, 1944 – November 13, 1944
Appointed byHenry F. Schricker
Preceded byFrederick Van Nuys
Succeeded byWilliam E. Jenner
29th Attorney General of Indiana
In office
June 6, 1940 – January 15, 1941
GovernorM. Clifford Townsend
Preceded byOmer Stokes Jackson
Succeeded byGeorge N. Beamer
Prosecuting Attorney of Allen County, Indiana
In office
January 1, 1924 – December 31, 1927
Preceded byLouis F. Crosby
Succeeded byEdwin R. Thomas
Personal details
Born(1895-05-28)May 28, 1895
Lafayette Township, Allen County, Indiana
DiedMarch 8, 1951(1951-03-08) (aged 55)
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Resting placeLindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAnna Fern Bennett (m. 1914-1951, his death)
Children3
EducationIndiana Law School
ProfessionAttorney
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1917-1919
RankCaptain
UnitOffice of the Judge Advocate General, Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky
Battles/warsWorld War I

Samuel Dillon Jackson (May 28, 1895 – March 8, 1951) was an American attorney and politician from Indiana. He was the Attorney General of Indiana from 1940 to 1941, and briefly served as a United States Senator in 1944.[1]

Early life

Jackson was born in Lafayette Township, Allen County, Indiana on May 28, 1895, the son of Reverend Isaiah H. Jackson and Minnie (Whitterberger) Jackson.[2] He attended the public schools of Fort Wayne and graduated from the city's Central High School in 1914.[2] He then attended Indiana Law School (now Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law), from which he received his LL.B. degree in 1917.[1] Later that year, Jackson was admitted to the bar.[2] He delayed the commencement of a law practice in order to enter the military for World War I.[2]

World War I

Jackson enlisted in the United States Army for World War I.[2] He attended the officers' training camp held at Fort Benjamin Harrison and received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry in August 1917.[2] He was subsequently assigned to legal duties in the office of the judge advocate at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky.[3] Jackson received promotion to first lieutenant and captain during the war, and was mustered out in April 1919.[3]

Start of career

After leaving the Army, Jackson engaged in the practice of law at Fort Wayne as the head of a firm that eventually became known as Jackson, Longfellow and Jackson.[4] In 1919 and 1920, Allen served as assistant supervisor of the U.S. census for Indiana's 12th Congressional District.[5]

A Democrat, Jackson served as prosecuting attorney of Allen County from 1924 to 1927.[1] In 1928, he was the Democratic nominee for a seat in the United States House of Representatives and was defeated by David Hogg, 55.3 percent to 44.7.[6]

Jackson remained active in politics as a Democrat and was head of Indiana's Democratic Party speaker's bureau in 1934 and permanent chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party's 1936 convention.[2] In July 1940, Jackson received an interim appointment as attorney general of Indiana, and he completed the term of the late Omer Stokes Jackson.[2]

Later career

On January 28, 1944, Jackson was appointed to the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy caused by the death of Frederick Van Nuys.[2] He served from January 28, 1944, to November 13, 1944, and was not a candidate for election to the remainder of the term, or for the full term that began on January 3, 1945.[2]

Jackson was permanent chairman of the 1944 Democratic National Convention.[7] In 1944, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of Indiana, losing to Republican Ralph F. Gates, 50.97 percent to 48.18.[7] After losing the governor's race, Jackson resumed the practice of law in Fort Wayne.[7] In 1946 he was hired for a three-year term as governor of the National Association of Commodity Exchanges and Allied Trades.[8] In this position, Jackson oversaw the development of a comprehensive program of self-regulation for commodity exchanges and boards of trade in Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Missouri, and New York City.[8]

Civic and fraternal memberships

Jackson participated in several organizations associated with Freemasonry, including the York Rite, Shriners, and Scottish Rite.[2] He attained the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite, was a member of Indiana's Supreme Council, and served as Deputy for the District of Indiana.[2]

As part of his career as an attorney, Jackson maintained memberships in the American Bar Association, Indiana Bar Association, and Allen County Bar Association.[2] He served a term as a member of the state association's advisory board, and a term as president of the Allen County Bar Association.[2]

Jackson was an active member of the American Legion following his Army service.[2] In the early 1920s he became a charter member of legion Post 47 in Fort Wayne.[2]

The Izaak Walton League, an environmental conservation advocacy organization, included Jackson as a member.[2] He was also a member of Fort Wayne's Quest Club, an organization created to provide members a forum for presenting original research on current events and social, economic, scientific, cultural, political, and historical subjects.[2]

Death and burial

He died in Fort Wayne on March 8, 1951.[7] Jackson was buried at Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne.[7]

Family

In 1914, Jackson married Anna Fern Bennett.[2] They were the parents of three children—James W., Robert I., and Samuel D. Jr.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jackson, Samuel Dillon". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t United States Congress (1944). Official Congressional Directory. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 31 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b "Mustered Out". The News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne, IN. April 17, 1919. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Memorial Committee (March 10, 1951). "Biographical Sketch, Samuel D. Jackson" (PDF). Resolutions on the Death of Samuel Dillon Jackson. Huntington, IN: Huntington County Bar Association. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  5. ^ "Jackson Continues Practice of Law". The News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne, IN. October 17, 1919. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Kulp, Deborah, ed. (2016). Guide to U.S. Elections. Los Angeles, CA: Sage/CQ Press. p. 1231. ISBN 978-1-4833-8036-0 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b c d e United States Congress (1961). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1112 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b "$50,000-a-Year Commodity Post Goes to Samuel Jackson". Indianapolis News. Indianapolis, IN. Associated Press. November 28, 1945. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
Party political offices Preceded byHenry F. Schricker Democratic nominee for Governor of Indiana 1944 Succeeded byHenry F. Schricker Political offices Preceded byOmer Stokes Jackson Indiana Attorney General 1940-1941 Succeeded byGeorge N. Beamer U.S. Senate Preceded byFrederick Van Nuys U.S. senator (Class 3) from Indiana 1944 Served alongside: Raymond E. Willis Succeeded byWilliam E. Jenner
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