Henry F. Ashurst
Henry Fountain Ashurst (September 13, 1874 – May 31, 1962) was an American Democratic politician and one of the first two senators from Arizona. Largely self-educated, he served as a district attorney and member of the Arizona Territorial legislature before fulfilling his childhood ambition of joining the United States Senate. During his time in the Senate, Ashurst was chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs and the Judiciary Committee.
Henry F. Ashurst
Called "the longest U.S. theatrical engagement on record" by Time,[1] Ashurst's political career was noted for a self-contradictory voting record, for the use of a sesquipedalian vocabulary, and for a love of public speaking that earned him a reputation as one of the Senate's greatest orators. Among the sobriquets assigned to him were "the Dean of Inconsistency", "Five-Syllable Henry", and the "Silver-Tongued Sunbeam of the Painted Desert".[2]
Retirement and death[edit]
During his farewell speech in the Senate, Ashurst indicated his intention to retire to Arizona, saying, "When you are here worrying about patronage, worrying about committee assignments, worrying about bills, I shall possibly be enjoying the ecstasy of the starry stillness of an Arizona desert night, or enjoying the scarlet glory of her blossoming cactus, and possibly I may be wandering through the Petrified Forest in Arizona."[10] But instead of going home, he accepted a position on the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals, serving from April 8, 1941, until his retirement on February 28, 1943.[7]
After his retirement, Ashurst lived in Washington, D.C., devoting his time to classical poetry and public speaking.[5] He also made several public appearances. Ashurst was a contestant on the television game show The $64,000 Question; he missed a question, but received a Cadillac car as a consolation prize. He also made a cameo appearance in the film Advise and Consent, in the role of "Senator McCafferty".[4] Ashurst suffered a stroke on May 15, 1962, and was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital where he died on May 31, 1962.[7]
Ashurst kept a journal from June 1910 to July 27, 1937, which contains pen portraits of several fellow senators. The journal was edited by George F. Sparks and published in 1962 under the title A Many Colored Toga.[5]
