George de Rue Meiklejohn

George de Rue Meiklejohn
United States Assistant Secretary of War
In office 1897–1901
President	William McKinley
Preceded by	Joseph Doe
Succeeded by	William Cary Sanger
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897
Preceded by	Omer Madison Kem
Succeeded by	Samuel Maxwell
5th Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska
In office 1889–1891
Governor	John Milton Thayer
Preceded by	Hibbard H. Shedd
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson Majors
14th President pro tempore of the Nebraska Senate
In office January 1887 – January 1889
Preceded by	Church Howe
Succeeded by	Church Howe
Personal details
Born	(1857-08-26)August 26, 1857 Weyauwega, Wisconsin
Died	April 19, 1929(1929-04-19) (aged 71) Los Angeles, California
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh University of Michigan Law School
Occupation	lawyer
Signature

George de Rue Meiklejohn (/ˈmiːkəlˌdʒɒn/; August 26, 1857 – April 19, 1929) was an American politician who served as the fifth lieutenant governor of Nebraska under Governor John Milton Thayer and as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Nebraska. He was the United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1897 to 1901.

Early life and education

de Rue Meiklejohn was born in Weyauwega, Wisconsin, on August 26, 1857. He went to the state normal school in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh).

Career

He became a principal of high schools in Weyauwega and Liscomb, Iowa. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1880, he was admitted to the bar and established a practice in Fullerton, Nebraska. He was the prosecuting attorney for Nance County, Nebraska, from 1881 to 1884.

In 1884 Meiklejohn was elected a member of the Nebraska Legislature, serving from 1884 to 1888. In 1886, he became president of the Senate, in 1887 the chairman of the Republican State convention, and in 1887 and 1888 chairman of the Republican State central committee. In 1889 he became the Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska and served until 1891. He was elected as a Republican to the 53rd and 54th Congresses (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897), but did not run for re-election in 1896. On April 14, 1897, U.S. President William McKinley appointed him the Assistant Secretary of War and he served through the Spanish–American War until March 1901.

Meiklejohn ran unsuccessfully for election to the United States Senate from Nebraska in 1901 to fill the seat of Monroe Hayward. After that, he resumed his law practice in Omaha, Nebraska, moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1918, where he practiced law and mining.

Personal life

He died in poverty at the Los Angeles County General Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on April 19, 1929. He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Further reading

• "Meiklejohn, George de Rue". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 21, 2006.
• United States Congress. "George de Rue Meiklejohn (id: M000634)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.