Ernest King Bramblett (April 25, 1901 – December 27, 1966) was an American Republican politician who represented California's Central Coast in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1955 when he was convicted of fraud. He was elected to the U.S. House in the 1946 Republican landslide when he ousted Democratic incumbent Rep. George Outland.
Ernest K. Bramblett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1955 | |
| Preceded by | George E. Outland |
| Succeeded by | Charles M. Teague |
| Constituency | 11th district (1947–1953) 13th district (1953–1955) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ernest King Bramblett April 25, 1901 Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 1966 (aged 65) Woodland Hills, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) |
Biography
editBorn in Fresno, California, Bramblett graduated from Stanford University in 1925 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, and later attended several other colleges for post-graduate work.[1][2] He worked in insurance sales and car sales before becoming a high school teacher, principal and administrator.[3][4] From 1943 to 1946 he was responsible for coordinating the curriculum between high schools and elementary schools of the Monterey County school system.[5]
Early political career
editA Republican, Bramblett was Mayor of Pacific Grove from 1939 to 1947,[6] and a member of California's Republican Central Committee from 1944 to 1946.[7]
Congress
editIn 1946, Bramblett was elected to the 80th United States Congress. He was reelected three times, and served from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1955. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1954.
Conviction
editIn February 1954, Bramblett was convicted of several charges related to payroll fraud with his Congressional staff; he paid salaries to four individuals who did no work for him.[8] They returned the money to Bramblett so he could convert it to his personal use.[9][10] He was sentenced to four months to a year in prison, which was suspended. He was also fined $5,000, and was placed on probation for a year. The federal government later sued to recoup the money he had acquired from his fraud, and obtained a judgment against him.
Later years
editAfter his conviction, Bramblett became a government affairs consultant in southern California, and was a resident of Woodland Hills.
Death and burial
editHe died in Woodland Hills on December 27, 1966, and was buried at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernest K. Bramblett | 41,902 | 53.1 | |||
| Democratic | George E. Outland (Incumbent) | 36,996 | 46.9 | |||
| Total votes | 78,898 | 100.0 | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernest K. Bramblett (Incumbent) | 87,143 | 80.8 | |
| Progressive | Cole Weston | 14,582 | 13.5 | |
| Democratic | George E. Outland (write-in) | 6,157 | 5.7 | |
| Total votes | 107,882 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernest K. Bramblett (Incumbent) | 59,780 | 52.1 | |
| Democratic | Ardis M. Walker | 55,020 | 47.9 | |
| Total votes | 114,800 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernest K. Bramblett (Incumbent) | 79,496 | 51 | |
| Democratic | Will Hays | 76,516 | 49 | |
| Total votes | 156,012 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Annual register. Stanford University: Stanford, CA. 1936. p. 525.
- ^ California Blue Book. Sacramento, CA: State Printing Office. 1954. p. 55.
- ^ Cloud, Roy Walter (1952). Education in California: Leaders, Organizations, and Accomplishments of the First Hundred Years. Stanford University Press: Stanford, CA. p. 271.
- ^ "Teachers End 3-Day Session in Watsonville". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, CA. November 23, 1939. p. 8.
- ^ "E. K. Bramblett in Congress Race from 11th District". Oxnard Press-Courier. Oxnard, CA. March 13, 1946. p. 1.
- ^ Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1971. US Government Printing Office: Washington, DC. 1971. p. 628.
- ^ Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-12005. US Government Printing Office: Washington, DC. 2005. p. 697. ISBN 9780160731761.
- ^ "Congressman Convicted for Padded Payroll". Stanford Daily. Stanford, CA. United Press International. February 10, 1954. p. 1.
- ^ "Congressman Convicted for Padded Payroll"
- ^ Rosenzweig, David (December 9, 1995). "Tucker Is Fourth California Congressman to Be Convicted Since 1936". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ 1946 election results
- ^ 1948 election results
- ^ 1950 election results
- ^ "1952 election results" (PDF).
External links
edit- United States Congress. "Ernest K. Bramblett (id: B000762)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Ernest K. Bramblett at Political Graveyard
 | This article about a member of the United States House of Representatives from California is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |