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Show PRESIDENT TUFT'S OFFICIAL FAMILY SKETCHES OF THE NINE EMINENT MEN FORMING FORM-ING HIS CABINET. P. C. KNOX HEADS THE GROUP Pennsylvanian Is Secretary of State Franklin MacVeagh, Chicago Merchant, Mer-chant, Holds the-Treasury Portfolio Portfo-lio Jacob M. Dickinson, Tennessee Democrat, to Manage the Army Affairs of the Agricultural Department Depart-ment Left in James Wilson's Hands. Philander Chase Knox of Pennsylvania, Pennsyl-vania, secretary of state in the cabinet cab-inet of President Taft, was born at Brownsville, Pa., in 1853. He was graduated from Mount Union college, Ohio, in 1872, and tnree years later was admitted to the bar. During the years 1876 and 1877 he served as assistant as-sistant United States district attorney for the western district of- Pennsylvania. Pennsyl-vania. In the latter year he formed a law partnership with James H. Reed, which still exists and which has represented rep-resented many large corporations, including in-cluding the Carnegie Company. Mr. Knox entered President McKinley's cabinet as attorney general in April, 1901, serving until 1904, when he was' elected United States senator from Pensylvania. The latter position he resigned to become the head of President Presi-dent Taft's cabinet. Wilson Retains His Place. Only one member of the Roosevelt cabinet retains his portfolio under Mr. Taft. That is James Wilson of Iowa, secretary of agriculture. So excellent ex-cellent had been his work in that position posi-tion that there was no serious talk of making a change. Born in Scotland in 1835, Mr. Wilson came to the United States In 1852 and three years later settled in Iowa. In 1861 he engaged in farming in Tama county. He was a member of the Iowa assembly for three sessions and speaker of the house for one session, and also was a member of the Iowa state railway commission.. In 1873 he was elected to congress, serving two terms, and was sent to the national legislature again for one term in 1883. He was regent of the State university of Iowa in 1S70-74, and in 1890 was made director of the agricultural experiment ex-periment station and professor of agriculture agri-culture at the Iowa Agricultural college, col-lege, Ames, la. In 1897 he became secretary of agriculture. MacVeagh for the Treasury. Franklin MacVeagh, secretary of the treasury, was born on a farm in i Chester county, Pennsylvania, graduated gradu-ated from Yale in 1S62 and from i Columbia Law school in 1S64. He be-j be-j gan the practice of law in New York j city but ill-health forced him to aban-I aban-I don it and in 1S65 he went to Chicago I and engaged in the wholesale grocery j business. In this and other commer-I commer-I cial pursuits he has amassed a large fortune. Before entering the cabinet he disposed of his holdings in the big grocery firm and resigned as director of the Commercial National bank of ! Chicago. Mr. MacVeagh has always been Interested in movements for the public welfare, locally and nationally. Dickinson Is War Secretary. Jacob M. Dickinson of Tennessee and Chicago, the new secretary of war, was born in 1S51 at Columbus, Miss. He graduated from the University Uni-versity of Nashville in 1S72 and afterward after-ward studied law at Columbia college, s at the University of Leipsiz and in Paris. He served- several times by special commission on the supreme bench of Tennessee and was assistant assist-ant attorney general of the United States in 1895-97. Postmaster General Hitchcock. The first cabinet officer selected by Mr. Taft after his election was Frank H. Hitchcock of Massachusetts, who gave up his place as first assistant postmaster general to manage successfully success-fully ''iie Taft presidential campaign. He has been given the office of postmaster post-master general in the new cabinet. Mr. Hitchcock was born at Amherst, O., in 1887, and graduated from Harvard Har-vard in 1891 and from Columbia Law school in 1S94. Since 1891 he has been a government official. Nagel Has Commerce Portfolio. Missouri has been rewarded for its switch to the Republican column by the appointment of Charles Nagel as secretary of commerce and labor. Mr. Nagel is a leading lawyer of St. Louis and the west. He was born in Texas in 1849, moved to St. Louis when a child and graduated from the St. Louis Law school in 1S73. He has been senior member of the law firm of Nagel & Kirby, professor in the St. Louis Law school and a trustee of Washington university. In 1881-83 he was a member of the Missouri house of .representatives, and in 1S93-97 was president of the St. Louis city council. coun-cil. He is a member of the Republican Repub-lican national committee and for years has been &n intimate friend of Mr. Taft. He was one of Mr. Roosevelt's most enthusiastic supporters. As an attorney Mr. Nagel was identified with several important cases dealing with the numerous complications in the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes in the then Indian territory. Navy Under Meyer's Charge. President Taft's secretary of the navy, George Von L. Meyer of Massachusetts, Massa-chusetts, has had wide experience as. a business man, legislator, diplomat and cabinet officer. He was born In Boston in 1858 and graduated from Harvard in 1879. He then entered ' business and has been prominently conected with a number of financial and mercantile concerns. His career as a public official began In 1889, when he was elected to the Boston common council. He then served on the board of aldermen, and in 1892-96 he was a member of. the Massachusetts isgisla-ture, isgisla-ture, the last two years being speaker of the house. In 1900 Mr. Meyer was sent to Italy as American ambassador, and in 1905 was transferred to Russia. Rus-sia. In January. 1907, President Roosevelt called him home to enter his cabinet as postmaster general. This portfolio he has relinquished for that of the navy. Mr. Meyer's home is Hamilton, Mass Ballinger Secretary of Interior. After about one year's service as commissioner or the general land office, of-fice, Richard A Ballinger of Seattle, Wash., has entered the cabinet as secretary of the interior. He Is a native of Iowa, having been born in Boonesboro in 1858 After attending the University ot Kansas and Washburn Wash-burn college at Topeka. he went to Williams college, graduating In 1SS4 and afterward studying law and removing re-moving to Washington. He was United States court commissioner In 1890-92 and later was judge of the supreme court in Jefferson county Wash. Attorney Gtneral Wickersham. George W. Wickersham, who becomes be-comes President Taft's attorney general, gen-eral, has had the reputation of being one of the ablest lawyers in New York city. Porn in Pittsburg in 1S58, he studied civil engineering in Lehigh university and in 1880 graduated from che law school of the University of Pennsylvania. For two years he practiced prac-ticed law in Philadelphia. In 18S4 he became associated with the law firm of Strong & Cadwalladare, to which Henry W. Taft, brother of ti presi dent, belongs. |
