Lawrence Cowle Phipps (August 30, 1862 – March 1, 1958) was a United States Senator representing Colorado from 1919 until 1931.[1]

Lawrence C. Phipps
United States Senator
from Colorado
In office
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1931
Preceded byJohn Franklin Shafroth
Succeeded byEdward Prentiss Costigan
Personal details
Born
Lawrence Cowle Phipps

(1862-08-30)August 30, 1862
Amity, Pennsylvania
DiedMarch 1, 1958(1958-03-01) (aged 95)
Santa Monica, California
Political partyRepublican
Spouses1) Ibrealla Loomis,
2) Genevieve Chandler,
2) Margaret Rogers
Parent(s)William Henry Phipps
Agnes McCall

Biography

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Lawrence Cowle Phipps was born on August 30, 1862, in Amity, Pennsylvania, the son of William Henry Phipps and Agnes McCall.[1] He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he joined the Carnegie Steel Company as a clerk. His uncle, Henry Phipps, was the second-largest shareholder in the company. Lawrence Phipps eventually advanced to first vice president. He retired in 1901, and moved to Denver, Colorado, where he was active in investments, and was president of the Colorado Taxpayers Protective League in 1917.

In 1918, Phipps was elected to the United States Senate as a member of the Republican Party, defeating the Democratic incumbent, John Franklin Shafroth. Phipps was reelected in 1924 on the memorable slogan, "A vote for Lawrence C. Phipps is another vote for Coolidge."[2] He did not run again in 1930.

Between 1931 and 1933, Phipps and his third wife, the former Margaret Rogers, built the Phipps Estate, in part to provide jobs during the Great Depression.[3] Mrs. Phipps donated the mansion and grounds to the University of Denver in 1964. Two of his sons in Gerald and Allen went on to purchase and operate the Denver Broncos.

Phipps died on March 1, 1958, in Santa Monica, California.[1] He was entombed in the Fairmount Mausoleum at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.

Legacy

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Phipps is the namesake of Phippsburg, Colorado.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Lawrence Phipps, Ex-Senator, Dies. Colorado G.O.P. Leader, 95, Was Carnegie Executive Before U. S. Steel Merger". New York Times. March 3, 1958.
  2. ^ Campaign poster.
  3. ^ "University of Denver -- Lawrence C. Phipps Memorial Conference Center: History". Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  4. ^ Dawson, John Frank (1954). Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 40.

Further reading

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  • Official Congressional Biography, which credits both the U.S. Senate Historical Office and the biography below:
  • Dictionary of American Biography; Schlup, Leonard. "Colorado Crusader and Western Conservative: Lawrence C. Phipps and the Congressional Campaign of 1926." Essays in Colorado History 9 (1989): 25–36.
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Party political offices
Preceded by
Clyde Dawson
Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Colorado
(Class 2)

1918, 1924
Succeeded by
George H. Shaw
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Colorado
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1931
Served alongside: Charles S. Thomas, Samuel D. Nicholson, Alva B. Adams, Rice W. Means, Charles W. Waterman
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Oldest living U.S. senator
July 27, 1954 – March 1, 1958
Succeeded by