Senator Albert Josiah Shaw View All Years

ALBERT JOSIAH SHAW

MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Albert J. Shaw, Sr. of the city of Pocahontas, Pocahontas County, Iowa, begs leave to submit the following:

Albert Josiah Shaw, school teacher, attorney, legislator, and public servant, was born August 31, 1876, at Dayton, Wisconsin, the son of Prentis and Jennie A. Shaw, and departed this life Friday, October 10, 1952, the result of a cerebral hemmorrhage, suffered on the preceding July 6.

In the year 1892, he came with his parents to Iowa and settled in Pocahontas County near the town of Havelock and three years later, in 1895, moved to a farm in Powhatan Township, which was the family home for many years. He received his elementary and high-school education in the towns of Rolfe and Plover and later attended Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa. Following a short period of school teaching, he matriculated at Drake University and reecived a degree of Doctor of Law in 1901. He practiced this profession at Corwith, Iowa, for only a short period of time before returning to Pocahontas. Here he formed a law partnership with the late W. C. Ralston, and continued actively in this profession for over half a century.

Mr. Shaw was Pocahontas County attorney for ten years from 1910 to 1920, and for 12 years he served the Fiftieth district, comprised of Humboldt, Pocahontas, and Buena Vista Counties in the state Senate. During this tenure he was the author of many important pieces of legislation, the most outstanding being the Homestead Credit Law.

At the time of his death he was serving his state as its industrial commissioner and was also a trustee of Buena Vista College of Storm Lake.

He was united in marriage to Genevieve B. Murphy on September 23, 1908. To this union there were born three sons, Frank and Albert Jr., attorneys of Pocahontas, and Robert, a teacher in the Jordan, High schools, also two daughters, Catherine; Mrs. George Shors, and Eleanor; Mrs. Lawrence Flaherty, also of Pocahontas. These together with his wife, two sisters, and sixteen grandchildren survive him.

“Burt,” as he was affectionately known, was an outstanding Christian gentleman, one who took an active interest and a full part in all affairs, not only of this community and county, but also of the state. To this end he devoted untiringly of his time and energy in promoting the finer things of life and will be affectionately remembered by all who knew him and most especially to the authors of this resolution.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-fifth General Assembly of Iowa: That in the death of the Honorable Albert Josiah Shaw, the state has lost a valued and honored servant and by this resolution tenders its sincere sympathy to the surviving members of the family.

Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread on the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the members of the family of the deceased.

R. J. OLTMAN,

HARRY E. WATSON,

DUANE E. DEWEL,

Committee.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.