# George H. Tinkham

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American politician (1870–1956)

George Holden Tinkham Tinkham circa 1918 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts In office March 4, 1915 – January 3, 1943 Preceded by Andrew James Peters Succeeded by Christian Herter Constituency 11th district (1915–1933) 10th district (1933–1943) Member of the Massachusetts State Senate In office 1910–1912 Boston Alderman In office 1900–1902 Member of the Boston Common Council In office 1897–1898 Personal details Born October 29, 1870 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Died August 28, 1956 (aged 85) Cramerton, North Carolina, U.S. Resting place Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston, Massachusetts Party Republican Alma mater Harvard University Profession Attorney Military service Battles/wars World War I

**George Holden Tinkham** (October 29, 1870 – August 28, 1956) was a member of the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from the state of [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts).

## Early years

Tinkham was born October 29, 1870, in [Boston](/source/Boston), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts),[1] to Frances Ann Holden and George Henry Tinkham, a produce dealer.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] He graduated from [Harvard College](/source/Harvard_College) in 1894.[1]

## Career

Tinkham served as a member of the [Boston Common Council](/source/Boston_City_Council) in 1897 and 1898.[1] After this first venture into politics he resumed his education at [Harvard Law School](/source/Harvard_Law_School). He was admitted to the bar in 1899 and commenced practice in Boston.[1] Tinkham returned to public office, serving as a member of the Boston Board of Aldermen from 1900 to 1902.[1][2][note 1]

Tinkham spent the next several years working as a lawyer. In 1910 he returned to public service, being elected as a member of the [Massachusetts State Senate](/source/Massachusetts_State_Senate), where he served from 1910 to 1912.[1][2]

During [World War I](/source/World_War_I), he served in the military;[1] Tinkham would later tell *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))* magazine that while touring the front as a Congressman he fired the first American shot against the [Austrians](/source/Austria-Hungary).[3]

Tinkham was elected as a Republican to the [Sixty-fourth Congress](/source/64th_United_States_Congress) and to the thirteen succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915 – January 3, 1943).[1] During that time Tinkham was nicknamed "the conscience of the House" for his efforts to [protect voting rights for African Americans](/source/Disfranchisement_after_Reconstruction_era#Tinkham),[2] in part by highlighting of the South's disproportionate representation in the House related to that region's voting population.[4] In 1937, a California newspaper reported "Representative Tinkham of Massachusetts, on the other hand, is emphatic in the view that we are heading for an alliance with England, France and Russia against Germany, Italy and Japan and he favors playing a lone hand and attending strictly to our own business".[5]

Tinkham did not stand for renomination in 1942. He continued to practice law in Boston until his retirement; died in Cramerton, North Carolina, on August 28, 1956; interment in [Forest Hills Cemetery](/source/Forest_Hills_Cemetery) in Boston.[1]

In his spare time, he went on safaris in [Kenya](/source/Kenya).[3]

## See also

- [131st Massachusetts General Court (1910)](/source/131st_Massachusetts_General_Court_(1910))

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** The Boston Common Council and the Boston Board of Aldermen were later combined into the [Boston City Council](/source/Boston_City_Council#History), following a rewrite of Boston's city charter.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-conbio_1-8) United States Congress. ["George H. Tinkham (id: T000283)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000283). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*. Retrieved December 8, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-baic_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-baic_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-baic_2-2) Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk (2008). ["The Negroes' Temporary Farewell"](http://baic.house.gov/historical-essays/essay.html?intID=5&intSectionID=30). *Black Americans in Congress, 1870–2007*. Retrieved December 8, 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-lifemag_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-lifemag_4-1) [Lang, Will](/source/Will_Lang%2C_Jr.) (December 16, 1940). ["Tinkham the Mighty Hunter"](https://books.google.com/books?id=QEoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69). *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))*. Vol. 9, no. 25. pp. 69–72, 74, 76. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0024-3019](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0024-3019). Retrieved December 8, 2012. He notes that he fired the first American shot against the Austrians in the World War. The Italians were conducting the visiting Congressman along the Austrian front in 1917 and allowed him to pull the lanyard of a field piece. (p. 71)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Demands Inquiry on Disfranchising; Representative Tinkham Aims to Enforce 14th and 15th Articles of Constitution"](https://www.nytimes.com/1920/12/06/archives/demands-inquiry-on-disfranchising-representative-tinkham-aims-to.html). *The New York Times*. December 6, 1920. Retrieved December 8, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Rep. Tinkham"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tustin-news-rep-tinkham/144651761/). *The Tustin News*. October 22, 1937. p. 2. Retrieved April 3, 2024.

## External links

- United States Congress. ["George H. Tinkham (id: T000283)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000283). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Andrew J. Peters Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 11th congressional district March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1933 Succeeded by John J. Douglass Preceded by John J. Douglass Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 Succeeded by Christian Herter Political offices Preceded by Member of the Boston, Massachusetts Common Council 1897–1898 Succeeded by Preceded by Member of the Boston, Massachusetts Board of Aldermen 1900 – 1902 Succeeded by Preceded by Member of the Massachusetts State Senate 1910 – 1912 Succeeded by

v t e United States representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F. Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J. Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham N. Appleton Gorham A. Lawrence Fletcher A. Lawrence Winthrop N. Appleton Winthrop S. Eliot W. Appleton Scudder T. D. Eliot Hall T. D. Eliot Buffington Crapo R. Davis Randall Wright G. Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W. Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W. Lyman Shepard J. Crowninshield Story Pickman W. Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B. Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D. King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffington O. Ames Harris Long E. Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin S. Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing A. Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C. Adams Thomas A. Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B. Dean Field Ranney L. Morse J. Andrew Walker J. R. Thayer R. Hoar C. Washburn J. A. Thayer Wilder Paige F. Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N. Tsongas Trahan 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn G. Thatcher Wadsworth Foster L. Lincoln Sr. Hastings Varnum W. Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E. Everett Sa. Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins A. Rice Hooper Frost J. Abbott L. Morse Collins O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P. Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III Auchincloss 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L. Williams T. Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley J. Davis L. Lincoln Jr. Hudson C. Allen W. Appleton Burlingame W. Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L. Morse Hayden Banks Sh. Hoar Stevens Knox B. Ames J. Rogers E. Rogers B. Morse Cronin P. Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N. Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district G. Thatcher Leonard J. Reed Sr. J. Smith Taggart S. Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G. Davis Upham T. Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A.P. Andrew G. Bates W. Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H. Dwight S. Allen Grennell Briggs J. Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E. Hoar Tarbox Butler W. Russell Stone Cogswell W. Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W. Connery L. Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano Pressley 8th district Grout G. Thatcher F. Ames Otis Eustis L. Williams Green Gardner Green J. Reed Jr. Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J. Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G. Hoar J. M. S. Williams Warren Claflin Candler W Russell C. H. Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H. Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J. Dean Wheaton J. Reed Jr. Folger J. Reed Jr. H. Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H. Williams Hale Fowler Little De Witt E. Thayer Bailey A. Walker W. Washburn Crocker G. Hoar W. Rice T. Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G. Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce R. Russell Luce T. H. Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J. Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey H. A. S. Dearborn W. Baylies Borden H. Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross W. Rice J. E. Russell J. Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A. Bigelow Brigham B. Adams J. Russell Hobart J. Richardson J. Adams J. Reed Jr. Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district H. Dearborn I. Parker Lee S. Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L. Bigelow Baylies Hodges J. Adams Robinson F. Rockwell Crosby E. Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis J. Reed Jr. Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G. Thatcher Cutts C. King J. Holmes Lovering E. Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S. Thatcher Cook Tallman S. Davis Brown Orr Hill Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F. Carr Wood J. Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson T. Rice J. Parker 19th district J. Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris E. Lincoln At-large Cobb

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [George H. Tinkham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._Tinkham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._Tinkham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.