David F. Houston

This article is about the American politician. For other uses, see David Houston (disambiguation).

David Franklin Houston
11th President of Texas A&M University
In office 1902–1905
Preceded by	Roger Haddock Whitlock
Succeeded by	Henry Hill Harrington
4th President of the University of Texas at Austin
In office 1905–1908
Preceded by	William Lambdin Prather
Succeeded by	Sidney Edward Mezes
8th Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis
In office 1908–1913
Preceded by	Winfield Scott Chaplin
Succeeded by	Frederic Aldin Hall
5th United States Secretary of Agriculture
In office March 6, 1913 – February 2, 1920
President	Woodrow Wilson
Preceded by	James Wilson
Succeeded by	Edwin T. Meredith
48th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office February 2, 1920 – March 3, 1921
President	Woodrow Wilson
Preceded by	Carter Glass
Succeeded by	Andrew W. Mellon
Personal details
Born	(1866-02-17)February 17, 1866 Monroe, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 2, 1940(1940-09-02) (aged 74) Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	University of South Carolina Harvard University
Profession	Politician

David Franklin Houston (February 17, 1866 – September 2, 1940) was an American academic, businessman and politician.

Biography

Born in Monroe, North Carolina, he graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1887 and went on to do graduate work at Harvard University, where he received a M.A. in political science in 1892.

Higher education

Houston taught political science at University of Texas. He became an adjunct member of the faculty in 1894 and was named dean of the faculty in 1899. He then became president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) from 1902 until 1905. In 1905 he returned to UT to become that institution's president, serving until 1908. During his tenure at UT Austin, the school opened a doctoral program and a law school.

Houston left Texas to serve as chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, a position he held from 1908 to 1913. During his tenure he established the School of Architecture and strengthened the Medical School through partnerships with Children's and Barnes hospitals. He left the University to become the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Under President William McKinley he was on the board of visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Later in life, he was an overseer of Harvard University and on the Columbia University board of trustees.

Politics

Houston served President Woodrow Wilson as United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1913 to 1920 when he became United States Secretary of the Treasury until 1921.

During his time as Agriculture Secretary many important agricultural laws were passed by the U.S. Congress, including the Smith-Lever Act, the Farm Loan Act, the Warehouse Act, and the Federal Aid Road Act.

Houston's former house in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Houston came to the Treasury Department as World War I was ending and his brief tenure was marked by stormy controversies over federal monetary policies. As ex officio Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, he issued severe warnings and, increased rediscount rates in order to prevent the inflation that the European allies were experiencing. Houston predicted a fall in U.S. prices, particularly of farm products, after the optimism of the Armistice wore off. He pushed for easier credit for farmers and urged them to produce less.

But when prices fell more dramatically than expected in 1920, farm spokesmen unfairly accused Houston of deliberately wrecking agrarian prosperity. Abroad, England and France were pushing to cancel their war debts. Houston, the U.S. Congress and the President, against cancellation, converted the short-term debts to long-term loans. Houston resigned at the end of Wilson's term, after only a year in office.

Business

After leaving the U.S. federal government, Houston became President of Bell Telephone Securities and a vice president at AT&T. Houston also served as a director of the AT&T, the Guaranty Trust Company and the United States Steel Corporation. He was president of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York for 10 years.

Death

He died on September 2, 1940 of a heart attack at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

Writings

Houston published A Critical Study of Nullification in South Carolina (1896) to establish his place in academia. He later published a two-volume memoir of his experiences as a cabinet member, Eight Years with Wilson's Cabinet.

External links

Academic offices
Preceded by Roger Haddock Whitlock	List of Texas A&M University presidents 1902 – 1905	Succeeded by Henry Hill Harrington
Preceded by William Lambdin Prather	President of the University of Texas at Austin 1905 – 1908	Succeeded by Sidney Edward Mezes
Preceded by Winfield Scott Chaplin	Chancellors of Washington University in St. Louis 1908 – 1917	Succeeded by Frederic Aldin Hall
Political offices
Preceded by James Wilson	U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Served under: Woodrow Wilson March 6, 1913 – February 2, 1920	Succeeded by Edwin T. Meredith
Preceded by Carter Glass	U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Served under: Woodrow Wilson February 2, 1920 – March 3, 1921	Succeeded by Andrew W. Mellon