ANCIENT&
not so ancient
WISDOM
offering a weekly positive perspective
August
19, 2004
 "Destiny
is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is
not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
- William Jennings Bryan (1860 - 1925)
Born
in Salem, Marion County, Illinois on March 19, 1860, William
Bryan attended public schools and Whipple. He graduated from
Illinois College, Jacksonville, Illinois in 1881and studied
law at Union College in Chicago. He graduated in 1883 and
commenced practice in Jacksonville in 1883. He married Mary
Baird in 1884. They had three children: Ruthy, WJ Bryan, Jr.
and Grace.
In
1887, they moved to Lincoln Nebraska where William continued
the practice of law. He was elected to the 52nd and 53rd
Congresses and declined to be a candidate for reelection in
1894. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the
United States Senate in 1894 and an unsuccessful Democratic
candidate for President in 1896. In 1898, he served as a
U.S. Army Colonel in the Spanish-American War. He was
defeated as a candidate for President again in 1900. He
established “The Commoner”, a newspaper in 1901. He was
defeated again as a candidate for President in 1908. He
became the only man in history to run for presidential
office three times without winning.
In
1912, he helped get Woodrow Wilson elected to the
presidency. Wilson appointed Bryan Secretary of State in
1913. Bryan’s unwavering commitment to pacifism brought
him into conflict with the administration due to the
developing war in Europe and he resigned in 1915 before his
appointment was finished.
During
his political career, Bryan fought for the rights and
dignity of the working people. He played an important role
in the ratification of four constitutional amendments which
he saw as helping create a more democratic and more
righteous society: the progressive federal income tax,
Prohibition, women's suffrage, and the direct election of
senators.
During
1916 and 1925 he was an active orator, author, lecturer,
politician, publisher, and philosopher. During this time, he
moved his family to Miami, Florida. In 1925, he became the
lead prosecutor in the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial in
Dayton, Tennessee. His defense of creationism and attack on
evolution was based on his fear that acceptance of evolution
would lead to a weakening of public morals and a growth of
Social Darwinism. He died of a heart attack on July 26, in
Dayton, Tennessee, only days after the conclusion of the
trial and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Wishing
you continued determination in all pursuits of
contribution.
Sincerely,
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