Wellington D. Rankin

Wellington D. Rankin (September 16, 1884 – June 4, 1966) was a Republican public official from the state of Montana.^[1][2]

He was born Wellington Duncan Rankin on September 16, 1884 in Missoula, Montana, the son of John and Olive (née Pickering) Rankin. He grew up in a political family, with several of his relatives holding public office. An attorney by profession, he served in the United States Army during World War I. He was elected Montana Attorney General in 1920 and was reelected in 1924. He unsuccessfully stood for the Republican Senate nominated in 1924. In 1926, he was appointed an associate justice of the Montana Supreme Court, a position he held until 1928, when he ran unsuccessfully for Governor. He returned to practicing law until 1942, when he ran for the U.S. Senate against liberal incumbent Democrat James Edward Murray. He lost to Murray by a vote of 83,673 to 82,461,.^[3]

Wellington's older sister, Jeannette Rankin, was elected U.S. Representative in 1916 and 1940. She voted against U.S entry into both World War I and World War II. Her vote against the United States entering World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor was highly unpopular.

References

1. Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Wellington Rankin". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
2. "Guide to the Wellington D. Rankin papers 1904-1969". Northwest Digital Archives. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
3. Clerk of the US House of Representatives