Senator James Robert Barkley View All Years

JAMES R. BARKLEY

MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable memorial commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable James Robert Barkley, of Moulton, Iowa, begs leave to submit the following report:

James Robert Barkley, lawyer, lecturer and legislator, died at Des Moines, Iowa, July 26, 1948; born in a log cabin in Davis county, Iowa, February 13, 1869, son of Thomas and Margaret Barkley; took an active part in farming from time he was nine years old; educated in the public schools and Drake University, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1894 at Moulton, Iowa, until 1907, after which and until 1927 he took an active part in Chautauqua work; together with Alonzo Wilson established what is credited as being the first chautauqua system in the United States, then known as the “Lincoln Chautauqua”; was campaign manager in 1912 for Mr. Wilson, who was a candidate for president on the national prohibition ticket; for twenty years was a widely known chautauqua lecturer and artist, billed as a cartoonist, artist, clay modeler and entertainer; traveled over a million miles and gave more than 4,000 lectures, chalk talks and clay modeling entertainments; developed early a strong dislike for spirituous liquors and continued an ardent prohibitionist until his death; was a tireless church worker, a ready public speaker and a top ranking, public spirited citizen; made notable progress in many fields, including music and amateur astrology; served as Senator from the Appanoose-Davis county district since 1944, but was not a candidate for re-election; from 1924 to 1928 was business manager of Buena Vista college, and from 1928 to 1930 field secretary of the Westminster Presbyterian college, Salt Lake, Utah; also worked with the Presbyterian denomination seeking large endowments for its schools and colleges; during World War I was a Y.M.C.A. entertainer overseas; served as a member and President of the Moulton school board, as Sunday school superintendent and elder of the Presbyterian church, and delegate to the national assembly; married Minnie Henke, November 5, 1896, who died in January, 1939; again was married to Mrs. Lou Holbert, whose death occurred July 8, 1948; survived by a daughter, Mrs. Lyman Wiltse, of Miami, Florida, and a son, Robert Barkley, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; was a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows and Modern Woodman orders and a Republican.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-third General Assembly: That in the passing of Senator James Robert Barkley the state mourns the loss of a valuable and honored citizen.

Be It Further Resolved: That this resolution be spread upon the records of the Journal of the Senate of the Fifty-third General Assembly of Iowa, and that an enrolled copy thereof be transmitted to his son, Robert O. Barkley, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and to his daughter, Kathleen Wiltse, Miami, Florida.

SHERMAN WEST,

PEARL W. MCMURRY,

E. K. BEKMAN,

Committee.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.