Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object
Serving five terms in the House, Speaker Michael Kerr of Indiana was known for impressive oratory skills.
On this date, Speaker of the House
Michael Kerr of Indiana was born. Before entering politics, Kerr taught and practiced law. Elected to the
39th Congress (1865–1867), he served five non-consecutive terms in the House of Representatives. A party stalwart, the Indiana Representative served as a Democratic floor leader. After losing re-election to the
43rd Congress (1873–1875) by a slim margin, Kerr returned in the
44th Congress (1875–1877) where he was elected Speaker of the House. A Texas newspaper, the
Galveston Daily News, noted that Kerr, “was regarded with unbounded admiration by Democrats and almost universal dread and hatred by the more illiberal and unscrupulous classes of Republicans.” In a party line vote of 173 to 106, the House elected Kerr Speaker on December 6, 1875. Ill for a number of years, Kerr presided over the House until he passed away on August 19, 1876. As the Atlanta
Constitution eulogized, “Being an impressive speaker, and at all times fortified with facts, he commanded the attention of the house whenever he spoke.”
