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Henry F. Ashurst




Henry Fountain Ashurst ( September 13 , 1874May 31 , 1962 ), a Democrat , was the first Senator from Arizona , from 1912 to 1941 . He died in Washington, D.C. on May 31 , 1962 , and is Interred in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Prescott, Arizona .


BIOGRAPHY


Ashurst was born in Winnemucca , Humboldt County , Nevada on September 13 , 1874 , but moved to Flagstaff , Arizona a year later. He graduated from Stockton Business College in 1896 , then studied Law and Political Economy at the University Of Michigan in 1897 . Ashurst then served in the Territorial House Of Representatives from 1897 to 1899 , the Territorial Senate in 1903 , and as the District Attorney of Coconino County from 1905 to 1908 . With the admission of Arizona into the United States in 1912, Ashurst was elected as its first Senator alongside Marcus A. Smith . He served for the next 30 years, when he lost the election to the 77th United States Congress to Ernest W. McFarland , a fellow Democrat.

In addition to his aforementioned political duties, Henry Ashurst served on the Committee On Indian Affairs ( 63rd65th Congress ), the Committee On Industrial Expositions during the 63rd Congress, the Committee On Investigation Of Trespassers Upon Indian Lands during the 66th Congress , and the Committee On The Judiciary ( 73rd76th Congress ). His final service to the US Government was on the Board Of Immigration Appeals , on which he served from April 8 , 1941 to February 28 , 1943 , when he retired.

Ashurst has a funny cameo appearance as an ancient senator caught napping during a quorum call in Otto Preminger's classic politcal masterpiece "Advise and Consent" (1962).


EXTERNAL LINK




  State Arizona
  Class 1
  Before ''(none)''
  Alongside Marcus A Smith , Ralph H Cameron , Carl T Hayden
  Years 1912&ndash1941