{{Short description|Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives}} {{Use American English|date=June 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kenneth Romney | office = 25th Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives | image = 250px |caption = Kenneth Romney in front of the Mace of the Republic, 1938 | alt = An image of Kenneth Romney | leader = John Nance Garner<br>Henry Thomas Rainey<br>Jo Byrns<br>William B. Bankhead<br>Sam Rayburn | predecessor = Joseph G. Rodgers | successor = William F. Russell | term_start = December 7, 1931 | term_end = January 3, 1947 | birth_date = October 20, 1885 | birth_place = Missoula, Montana | death_date = April 6, 1952 | death_place = Arlington, Virginia | resting_place = Riverview Cemetery, Hamilton, Montana | spouse = Edith Romney | education = University of Washington <br>George Washington University }}

'''Kenneth Romney''' (abt 1883<ref name="billings">{{cite news |date=23 March 1948 |title=Romney Conviction Upheld by Court |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/413429138 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=The Billings Gazette |pages=14 |via=newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>—1952) was a journalist and editor and the 25th Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, from 1931 to 1947.

He was later found to have embezzled $143,863 from office accounts together with former Representative John H. Smithwick of Florida, who could not be indicted. Romney was sentenced to one and three years in prison for the shortfall and operating a bank with no legal authority.<ref name="billings" />

== Early career==

Romney was born in 1886 in near Hamilton, Montana in the Bitterroot Valley.<ref name="bitter">{{cite news |date=27 January 1914 |title=Kenneth Romney Goes to Washington DC |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/957786803 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=The Western News |location=Hamilton, Montana |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="vacation">{{cite news |date=11 Sep 1930 |title=Returns from Capital for Vacation at Home |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/348727655 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=The Daily Missoulian |pages=1, 2 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He graduated from the journalism school of the University of Washington at Seattle.<ref name="bitter" /><ref name="praised">{{cite news |date=20 July 1933 |title=Kenneth Romney Praised by Texan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/957839651 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=The Western News |pages=5 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="seniors">{{cite news |date=Dec 12, 1943 |title=Seniors in US Service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/868042810 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 Dec 2025 |work=Evening star |location=Washington DC |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

Romney began his career as a journalist<ref name="bitter" /> and editor.<ref name="masthead">{{cite news |date=14 October 1910 |title=(Editorial Masthead) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/957821330 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=The Western News |pages=4 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="milescity">{{cite news |date=2 November 1915 |title=(Editorial Masthead) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/957277573/?match=1&terms=%22kenneth%20romney%22 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=Miles City American |pages=4 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1914, he left Montana to take up a position as bill clerk with the US House of Representatives on a salary of $1,500/year.<ref name="bitter" /> In 1915 he became Assistant Sergeant at Arms; a position he held until 1917. In 1917, he became cashier to the House of Representatives;<ref name="cashier">{{cite news |date=Nov 29, 1917 |title=Kenneth Romney Promoted Cashier of the House |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/957810663 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=The Western News |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> he worked in the cashier's office until 1930.<ref>{{cite web |title=Romney, Kenneth (Extended Biography) |url=https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/38470 |access-date=7 July 2025 |website=United States House of Representatives |series=History, House, and Archives |publisher=}}</ref><ref name="vacation" />

In 1919, while in the cashier's office, Romney co-founded the Little Congress,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="birthday">{{cite news |date=27 March 1939 |title=Little Congress Celebrates its 20th Birthday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/866460099 |url-access=subscription |work=Evening star |location=Washington, DC |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> a venue for congressional Staff members to learn parliamentary procedure. Lyndon Johnson would become a member.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Glass |first1=Andrew |date=19 December 1919 |title=Hill staff founds ‘Little Congress’ |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/hill-staff-founds-little-congress-dec-19-1919-232697 |work=Politico |publisher=}}</ref>

Romney was appointed Sergeant at Arms in December 1931.<ref name="seniors" /><ref name="appointed">{{cite news |date=8 December 1931 |title=(Kenneth Romney today elected sergeant at arms) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/527639104 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=The Independent-Record |pages=6 |via=newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref name="eighth">{{cite news |date=2 March 1945 |title=Kenneth Romney Serving 8th Term |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/443248256 |url-access=subscription |work=Ravalli Republic |location=Hamilton, Montana |pages=2 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Romney also operated his office as a bank for members of the House of Representatives.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |date=March 23, 1948 |title=Romney Conviction Is Upheld |url=https://nyti.ms/3IkQK8J |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 July 2025 |work=New York Times}}</ref>

Romney also served as chief tally clerk for the 1932<ref name="praised" /> and 1936 Democratic National Conventions,<ref name="dulcet">{{cite news |date=3 August 1932 |title=Auto Theft Stops Rehearsal But Everything Ends Right |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/619011734 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=The Evening star |location=Washington, DC |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com |quote=Romney's father, Kenneth Romney Sr, is well-known in political circles, and served as chief tally clerk at the recent Democratic Convention in Chicago.}}</ref> gaining a motion of appreciation in 1936 for his work.<ref name=":2" />

In 1940, Romney wrote ''The Mace of the House of Representatives of the United States,'' a short history of the Mace of the Republic.

== Criminal Charges == Romney was caught concealing a $143,863 shortage in his office accounts due to transactions with former Representative John H. Smithwick of Florida, who could not be indicted due to the statute at limitations.

A criminal case against Romney was started in 1947,<ref name="flint">{{cite news |date=10 February 1947 |title=Former House Banker Faces Shortage Trial: Grand Jury Indicts Kenneth Romney on Three Counts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1168934780 |url-access=subscription |work=The Flint Journal |location=Flint, Michigan |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com |agency=United Press}}</ref> and he was convicted and sentenced to between one and three years in prison for the shortfall and operating a bank with no legal authority.<ref name="billings" /> While in office in 1931, he was found to have written to Smithwick "we have been jointly guilty of fraud"<ref>{{cite news |date=May 14, 1947 |title=Fraud by Romney is Told in Letter |url=https://nyti.ms/3IhtHLO |access-date=7 July 2025}}</ref>

He later lost an appeal of his conviction.<ref name="billings" /><ref name=":1" /> Justice Alexander Holtzoff, who presided over the case in district courts, offered him a relatively lenient sentence<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 24, 1947 |title=Romney Sentenced on House Shortage: Ex-Sergeant-at-Arms Gets One to Three Years in Prison Over Missing $143,863 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/24/archives/romney-sentenced-on-house-shortage-exsergeantatarms-gets-one-to.html |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=New York Times |pages=2}}</ref> due to the others involved in the crime being beyond the statute of limitations.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 May 1947 |title=Romney Gets 1 to 3 Years |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19470523.2.23 |access-date=13 July 2025 |work=San Pedro News Pilot |pages=1 |volume=20 |issue=68 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

== Recognition == For his work as the chief tally clerk for the 1932 and 1936 Democratic National Conventions, the convention resolved in 1936:<blockquote>"RESOLVED: That the thanks of this convention should be extended to Mr. Kenneth Romney, Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives and Chief Tally Clerk of the Democratic Convention, for the careful and intelligent manner in which he has exercised his duties during the convention."<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last1=Quayle |first1=Oliver |url=https://archive.org/details/officialreportof00quay/page/422/mode/2up?q=romney |title=Official Report of the Proceedings of the Democratic National Convention |date=1936 |publisher=The Master Reporting Company, Inc |location=Washington |page= |pages=27, 327, 423}}</ref></blockquote> == Personal Life ==

Romney married Edna Fullerton in 1910.<ref name="wed">{{cite news |date=30 September 1910 |title=Kenneth Romney Wed Edna Fullerton |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/343201505 |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 December 2025 |work=The Western News |location=Hamilton, Montana |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The couple had one son, Kenneth Jr.<ref name="bitter" /><ref name="vacation" /><ref name="dulcet" /> Romney died on 6 April 1952 of a heart attack in Arlington, Virginia.<ref name="th_obit">{{cite news |date=7 April 1952 |title=Romney, Long House Figure, is Dead at 66 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1038464866 |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 December 2025 |work=Times Herald |location=Washington, DC |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* Romney, Kenneth. (1940) ''[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021306116&seq=5 The Mace of the House of Representatives of the United States].'' 3rd Edition. * Romney, Kenneth. (1910) ''[https://www.newspapers.com/image/343197298/?match=1&terms=%22kenneth%20romney%22 The Bitter Root is Rich in Scenic Beauty]''. The Western News. Hamilton, Montana. 1 May 1910. p. 29 * [https://www.newspapers.com/image/958038115/?match=1&terms=%22kenneth%20romney%22 Kenneth Romney's Letter from Washington]. The Butte Independent. 11 July 1914. p. 6. {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Romney, Kenneth}} Category:Employees of the United States House of Representatives Category:Congressional scandals Category:1952 deaths Category:Sergeants at Arms of the United States House of Representatives Category:20th-century American journalists Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Journalists from Montana Category:1880s births