Addington Bollinger Campbell Jr. (1896-1983)

From the Camden Courier-Post, May 12, 1949.

  Lifelong New Jersey resident Addington Bollinger Campbell Jr. was long a leading Democrat in Cumberland County, serving several years as county Democratic committee chairman and in 1928 was named to the New Jersey State Democratic Committee. Following his service, he was affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service as chief of the field division and assistant collector, and in 1949 was named by President Truman as U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for New Jersey's 1st district. The son of leading Cumberland County oyster shipper Addington Bollinger Campbell Sr. (1866-1930) and the former Mary Emma Joslin (1874-1960), Addington Bollinger Campbell Jr. was born on August 29, 1896, in Newport, New Jersey.

  A student at schools local to Bridgton, Campbell graduated from Bridgton High School and later enrolled at the Banks Business College in Philadephia. A naval veteran of World War I, Campbell captained a sub-chaser during his service, and as the commander of Submarine Patrol 204, was responsible for removing a mine cutter that had landed on a beach in Delaware Bay in late 1918. Following his service, he married in Newport in 1920 to Myrtle Lore Lake (1892-1975), to who he was wed for over fifty years. The couple had at least one son, Duncan Lake Campbell (born ca. 1925). 

   In the years after his marriage Campbell was affiliated with his father's oyster shipping business, and in the 1930s owned an oyster-catching vessel based out of Philadelphia. He entered the political field in 1922 with his candidacy for the New Jersey State Assembly. In October of that year, he was a featured speaker at a Democratic mass meeting held in Vineland, and though defeated in the November election, he was again the Democratic nominee in November 1927.

From the Vineland Evening Journal, October 18, 1922.

  Though defeated in his runs for the assembly, Campbell experienced success in local politics beginning with his service as chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Committee in 1924. He served several years in that post, and in 1928 advanced to a seat on the New Jersey State Democratic Executive Committee, where he sat until 1935. In August 1933 he began a long affiliation with the Internal Revenue Service when he was appointed as chief of field deputies at the IRS office in Camden. 

  After two years as chief of field deputies, Campbell succeeded to the post of assistant collector of internal revenue for New Jersey's 1st district. Serving under collector Harry Maloney, Campbell's tenure extended until April 11, 1949, when Maloney died. Campbell acted as interim collector until May when President Truman nominated him to succeed Maloney. Campbell was later confirmed by the U.S. Senate and was sworn into office in July 1949.  

   Overseeing a district that comprised ten New Jersey counties, Campbell announced in September 1949 that his office would be "cracking down on delinquent taxpayers in the South New Jersey district", and aimed to collect $2,000,000 from 6,000 delinquent taxpayers. Campbell would further state that:

"Businessmen who ignore demands for payment risk having their bank accounts impounded by the government. If their cash or other liquid assets do not cover the delinquency, the law provides their businessess may be disposed of at forced sales to raise the money."

From the Camden Courier-Post, July 1, 1949.

  Campbell was reappointed as internal revenue collector for the 1st district in November 1952, and in August of the previous year announced the opening of an IRS branch office in Bridgton, that would be staffed by ten deputy collectors and two office assistants. Campbell later assumed the title of district collector and served until announcing his retirement in May 1955, being succeeded by Chris L. Gross.

  Following retirement Addington B. Campbell continued residence in Port Norris, New Jersey, and in June 1975 suffered the death of his wife of over fifty years, Myrtle. A prominent club man in his region, Campbell held memberships in the Olivet Lodge No. 607 of Free and Accepted Masons, the Rajah Temple of Philadelphia, the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Lodge Council Chapter Consistory of Scranton, and the Nabb-Leslie American Legion Post No. 82 of Millville.

  After decades of prominence in New Jersey public affairs, Addington B. Campbell Jr. died at the Millville Hospital on October 28, 1983, aged 87. He was survived by his son Duncan and was interred alongside his wife at the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Cedarville, New Jersey.

From the Millville Daily, October 29, 1983.

Prelate Demick Barker (1835-1928), Prelet Drake Conant (1822-1900)

From the Memorial Record of Alabama, Vol. II, 1893.

   Although a native of New England, Prelate Demick Barker found his political and business fortunes in Alabama, where he first settled in 1857. Barker's long residency in the "Heart of Dixie" saw him become one of  Mobile's most honored sons, being appointed as Collector of Internal Revenue for his state and in 1890  entered into a two-decade-long tenure as U.S. Postmaster at Mobile. On the national political scene, Barker served eight years as a member of the Republican National Committee from Alabama and was an eight-time delegate from Alabama to the Republican National Convention.

  Born on September 29, 1835, Prelate Demick Barker's birth occurred (depending on the source) in either North Branford, Connecticut, or New York City. The son of John Brooks Barker (a ship captain) and the former Frances J. Appell, Barker's first name is a misnomer, as "prelate" is actually a title given to a high ranking clergyman, such as a bishop or cardinal. While this name is certainly unusual, research has shown Barker received his name in honor of Prelate Demick (1801-1885), a resident of New Haven, Connecticut. A beloved schoolmaster in his region, Demick was also the first U.S. Postmaster at North Branford and for a time served as Grand Master for the state Odd Fellows Lodge of Connecticut.

  Barker's formative years were spent in New Haven, Connecticut, where he attended the common schools and later was a student at the Stratford Academy. At age seventeen Barker left his native state for New York City, where he pursued a career in law. Studying in the office of Harris Wilson, Barker left that city after two years and briefly resided in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

  In 1857 Barker resettled in Alabama, and after establishing roots in Claiborne County took employment with the mercantile firm of McClure and Thames. At the dawn of the Civil War Barker (despite being from the North) cast his lot with the Confederacy, being named an assistant to post quartermaster C.E. Thomas at the latter's headquarter's in Selma. Barker remained in Selma for the duration of the war, and in August 1865 married Joan Elizabeth Ferguson (1842-1910). The couple was wed for over forty years and their union produced four children, Ellis Carson (1866-1898), Florence Jane, Joan Elizabeth (died 1910), and Olive Louise (1873-1960).

  Following his war service Prelate D. Barker began plotting his business fortune, and in the same year as his marriage entered into the cottonseed oil, lumber, and petroleum business in his region, work that would extend into the 1880s. This was followed by his being tapped to serve as the secretary and treasurer of the Selma and Meridian Railroad in 1869. His time in that post extended two years, and midway during his service was elected to his first political office, that of Dallas County Superintendent of Education.

From the Notable Men of Alabama, Volume I, 1904.

  Barker left the office of county superintendent in 1871 and in November 1873 entered into his first high profile political appointment, that of Collector of Internal Revenue for Alabama's 2nd district.** Appointed by President Grant, Barker succeeded Francis Widner, who had been suspended from office and died shortly thereafter. Barker's first stint in that post extended several years, and during his term saw Alabama's revenue districts consolidated into one district, thereby making him collector for the entire state. Following his resignation in the late 1870s, Barker joined with the Empire Refining Co. of New York as its secretary, serving from 1879-83.

  In 1883 Prelate Barker was reappointed as Alabama's Collector of Internal Revenue by President Chester Arthur. He would relocate to Montgomery to take office and served until the inauguration of President Cleveland in March 1885. This period also saw Barker enter into the cotton compress and storage business in Montgomery, and in 1890 received the appointment of U.S. Postmaster at Mobile by President Benjamin Harrison. Barker served until 1894 when his commission expired, and in 1897 was reappointed postmaster by President McKinley. His second stint in office extended until 1914, serving through the administrations of McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft, and the first year of the Wilson presidency.

  Beginning in 1888 the name of Prelate D. Barker became a familiar one at the Republican National Convention. All told, Barker was elected as a delegate to every Republican National Convention held between 1888 and 1920, excepting the 1904 convention held in Chicago. The 1900 RNC Convention in Philadelphia saw Barker chair the Alabama delegation and also served on the committee to notify President McKinley of his renomination, visiting the president at his home in Canton, Ohio. In addition to his being an eight-time RNC delegate, Barker represented Alabama on the Republican National Committee for eight years, 1908-16. 

   In 1910 tragedy struck Barker with the death of his wife of forty-five years, Joan. He would remarry in 1914 to a woman nearly forty years his junior, Grace Salome Pettit (1873-1942). A longstanding Mason and member of the Knights Templar, Barker continued residence in Mobile until his death at home on March 29, 1928, at age 92. He was survived by his wife Grace, with both being interred at the Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile.

From the History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Vol. III, 1921.

** While nearly all sources record Prelate Barker's appointment as Collector of Internal Revenue as occurring in 1871, this is incorrect. Francis Widner was revenue collector in that year and served until his suspension (and later death) in 1873. Barker was appointed by President Grant to succeed him in November 1873, as per the record of the U.S. Court of Claims case log.

Portrait from the Representative Men and Old Families of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1912.

   Around the same time Prelate D. Barker was establishing a name for himself in Alabama, a man with a similar first name was doing the same in Massachusetts. That man was Prelet Drake Conant, a Fall River businessman who had fleeting political involvement in 1896 when he was a Prohibition Pary nominee for the Massachusetts state senate. Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts on September 22, 1822, Prelet D. Conant was the son of William and Achsah (Perry) Conant.

  Less than a year after he was born, Prelet suffered the death of his father and during his youth was employed as a spinner in a local cotton mill. He later learned the trade of carpenter and following his mother's death removed to Fall River, where he continued carpentry work. Conant married in Rehoboth, Massachusetts to Jane Munroe Rounds (1825-1905) in August 1843. The couple's lengthy union saw the births of a least three children, Mary Jane, Thomas Leprelet, and Minnie Ida.

  After a decade's residence in Fall River Conant removed to Tiverton, Rhode Island, where he engaged in the manufacture of sashes and blinds for several years. He removed back to Fall River sometime later and established himself in business in that town's Bowenville district. After a fire destroyed his business, Conant was forced to rebuild and by the early 1870s is recorded as operating the P.D. Conant and Co., dealing in "Builder's Supplies, Doors, Sash, Blinds, Hardware and Cutlery."

  Conant retired from business in 1886 and was active in Fall River fraternal groups, being a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges. A longtime agent for the Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Conant was also a former director of the Laurel Lake Mill, a vice president of the Citizen's Savings Bank, and a member of the Fall River Board of Trade.

   Prelet Conant's first entrance into politics came in 1856 when he began a long tenure as a justice of the peace, serving in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A leading temperance advocate in his city, Conant was called to elective office by the Prohibitionists in 1896, becoming their nominee for the Massachusetts state senate. Hoping to represent the state's 2nd senatorial district, Conant was one of four candidates vying for the seat. On election day he polled a distant fourth with 345 votes, losing out to former state representative William Moran, who triumphed with 5,289 votes.

  Four years following his senatorial loss, Prelet D. Conant died at his Fall River home on March 23, 1900, aged 77. He was survived by his wife Jane, and a burial location for both remains unknown at this time.

Attilla Cox (1843-1909)

From the Breckinridge News, July 14, 1909.

                            

   We conclude our stay in Kentucky with a look at the life of Attilla Cox, very likely the only American political figure named after that well-known ancient Germanic despot Attila the Hun (died 453), who pillaged, looted, and conquered numerous cities throughout Central and Western Europe. Despite sharing this name with such a fearsome military leader, Attilla Cox was one of the most well-liked and respected men in his section of Kentucky, being remarked as a "man possessed of wonderful ability", as well as a "gentleman of rare intelligence, business sagacity, and tact".

  One of the preeminent business leaders in the cities of Owenton and Louisville, Cox was a past President of the Louisville, Henderson, and St. Louis Railroad. He earns a place here on the site due to his service in the Kentucky State Senate in the mid-1880s, as well as for his being a delegate to the 1884 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

   A lifelong Kentucky native, Attilla Cox was born in the town of Ghent on August 16, 1843, the son of James P. and Felicia Obussier Cox. He attended school in Carroll County and later studied at Ghent College until the age of thirteen. Left fatherless at the age of thirteen, Cox relocated to Louisville to take work as a clerk in a general store, remaining in that employ until age 18. In 1862 he and his older brother Florian established themselves in Warsaw, Kentucky, where they built up a dry goods business under the firm name F & A. Cox. 

  After several years in Warsaw, the Cox brothers moved their business to Owenton and were joined by two other brothers, James and Luke. In June 1869 Attilla Cox married to Kate Ware Martin (1850-1919). The couple were wed for nearly forty years and would have three children, Leonard M., Attilla J. (1875-1935) and Katharyne (1881-1907). Of these children Attilla Cox Jr. would follow his father into public service, being a Louisville-based attorney and decorated officer during the First World War.

                                                    Attilla Cox as he appeared in the late 1880s.

   Attilla Cox's residency in Owenton saw him find success in merchandising but also banking and railroading. For a time Cox held the position of cashier of the Owenton First National Bank and is also recorded as being the "promoter and owner of stage lines and telephone connecting Owenton and Warsaw with the Short Line railroad." He would enter politics in 1879 when he won a seat in the state Senate and during the 1880-83 session sat on the following committees: Banks and Insurance, Internal Improvements, Railroads, and the Sinking Fund.

  Cox would win another term in the Senate in the early 1880s and during that term served as part of the Kentucky delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that nominated Grover Cleveland for the Presidency. In 1885 Cox removed to Louisville to accept the appointment of Collector of Internal Revenue for Kentucky's 5th district, being named to that post by President Cleveland.

   Cox's tenure as Internal Revenue collector ended in 1893 when he retired due to the election of Republican Benjamin Harrison to the Presidency. Shortly after leaving office Cox became the primary organizer of the Mechanics Savings Bank and Trust Company, which later merged with the Columbia Finance and Trust Company. He would serve as president of the latter company until his death and was also affiliated with several other business concerns, including the directorships of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, the Ohio Falls Car Manufacturing Company, the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Kentucky, and the Louisville Gas Company.

   In August of 1892, Attilla Cox began a four-year stint as receiver of the Louisville, St. Louis, and Texas Railroad. Upon that company's reorganization in 1896 as the Louisville, Henderson, and St. Louis Railway Company Cox was named as its president, continuing in that role until his death thirteen years later.

   Attilla Cox maintained an active role in his community until a few weeks before his death at age 66 on July 7, 1909. His death occurred after an illness of several weeks and was reported by the Cloverport Breckinridge News as having caused "widespread sorrow" throughout Louisville and the neighboring areas. He was survived by his wife Kate, who, following her death in 1917, was interred alongside her husband at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.

From the Kentucky Irish American, June 2, 1900.