1920 Democratic National Convention

Political meeting

1920 Democratic National Convention
Convention
1920 presidential election
Nominees Cox and Roosevelt
Date(s)	June 28 – July 6, 1920
City	San Francisco, California
Venue	Civic Auditorium
Candidates
Presidential nominee	James M. Cox of Ohio
Vice presidential nominee	Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York
‹ 1916 · 1924 ›

The 1920 Democratic National Convention was held at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California from June 28 to July 6, 1920. It resulted in the nomination of Governor James M. Cox of Ohio for president and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt from New York for vice president. The 1920 Democratic National Convention marked the first time any party had held its nominating convention in a West Coast city.

Neither President Woodrow Wilson, in spite of his failing health, nor former Secretary of State and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan had entirely given up hope that their party would turn to them, but neither was, in the event, formally nominated. In addition to the eventual nominee, Cox, the other high-scoring candidates as the voting proceeded were: Secretary of the Treasury William McAdoo and Attorney General Mitchell Palmer. On the forty-fourth ballot, Governor James M. Cox of Ohio was nominated for the Presidency.^[1] Cora Wilson Stewart of Kentucky, head of the National Education Association's new illiteracy commission, was chosen to second the nomination for Governor Cox.^[2] Mrs. Stewart was selected to replace Kentucky Representative J. Campbell Cantrill, highlighting the candidate's support for what would become the 19th Amendment.^[3]

The platform adopted by the convention supported the League of Nations, albeit with qualifications, and women's suffrage.

Democratic candidates

Governor
James M. Cox
of Ohio
Former Treasury Secretary
William Gibbs McAdoo
of California
Attorney General
A. Mitchell Palmer
of Pennsylvania
Governor
Al Smith
of New York
Ambassador
John W. Davis
of West Virginia
Governor
Edward I. Edwards
of New Jersey
Senator
Robert Latham Owen
of Oklahoma
Vice President
Thomas R. Marshall
(Not Formally Nominated)
Secretary of Agriculture
Edwin T. Meredith
of Iowa
DNC Chairman
Homer S. Cummings
of Connecticut
Senator
Carter Glass
of Virginia
Senator
Furnifold M. Simmons
of North Carolina
Former Ambassador
James W. Gerard
of New York
Senator
Gilbert Hitchcock
of Nebraska
Governor-General
Francis Burton Harrison
of the Philippines

A guest ticket purchased for June 28 of the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.

Although William Gibbs McAdoo (Wilson's son-in-law and former Treasury Secretary) was the strongest candidate, Wilson blocked his nomination in hopes a deadlocked convention would demand that he run for a third term, even though he was seriously ill, physically immobile, and in seclusion at the time. The Democrats instead nominated Ohio Governor James M. Cox as their presidential candidate and 38-year-old Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt, a fifth cousin of the late president Theodore Roosevelt, for vice-president.

Fourteen names were placed in nomination. Early favorites for the nomination had included McAdoo and Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer. Others placed in nomination included New York Governor Al Smith, United Kingdom Ambassador John W. Davis, New Jersey Governor Edward I. Edwards, and Oklahoma Senator Robert Latham Owen.

History was made at the convention when Laura Clay, a delegate from Kentucky and co-founder of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association and the Democratic Women's Club of Kentucky, became the first woman to have her name placed into nomination for president at the convention of a major political party.^[4] She was also the first woman to receive a convention delegation's vote for the presidency.^[5]

Balloting

(1–22)	Presidential Ballot
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th	21st	22nd
Cox	134	159	177	178	181	195	295.5	315	321.5	321	332	404	428.5	443.5	468.5	454.5	442	458	468	456.5	426.5	430
McAdoo	266	289	323.5	335	357	368.5	384	380	386	385	380	375.5	363.5	355.5	344.5	337	332	330.5	327.5	340.5	395.5	372.5
Palmer	256	264	251.5	254	244	265	267	262	257	257	255	201	193.5	181	167	164.5	176	174.5	179.5	178	144	166.5
Al Smith	109	101	92	96	95	98	4	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E. Edwards	42	34	32.5	31	31	30	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
T. Marshall	37	36	36	34	29	13	14	12	7	7	7	7	7	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Owen	33	29	22	32	34	36	35	36	37	37	35	34	32	34	31	34	36	38	37	41	36	35
J.W. Davis	32	31.5	28.5	31	29	29	33	32	32	34	33	31.5	29.5	33	32	52	57	42	31	36	54	52
Meredith	27	26	26	28	27	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Glass	26.5	25.5	27	27	27	27	27	27	25	25	25	25	25	25	25	25	27	26	26	26	26	25
Cummings	25	27	26	24	21	20	19	18	18	19	19	8	7	7	19	20	19	19	19	10	7	6
Simmons	24	25	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Gerard	21	12	11	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0
J. Williams	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hitchcock	18	16	16	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Clark	9	6	7	8	9	7	8	6	5	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	2	2	2	2	2	2
Harrison^[6]	6	6	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wood	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W.J. Bryan	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Colby	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniels	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W.R. Hearst	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Underwood	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wilson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2

(23–44)	Presidential Ballot
	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th	31st	32nd	33rd	34th	35th	36th	37th	38th	39th	40th	41st	42nd	43rd	44th
Cox	425	429	424	424.5	423.5	423	404.5	400.5	391.5	391	380.5	379.5	376.5	377	386	383.5	468.5	490	497.5	540.5	568	699.5
McAdoo	364.5	364.5	364.5	371	371.5	368.5	394.5	403.5	415.5	421	421	420.5	409	399	405	405.5	440	467	460	427	412	270
Palmer	181.5	177	169	167	166.5	165.5	166	165	174	176	180	184	222	241	202.5	211	74	19	12	8	7	1
J.W. Davis	50.5	54.5	58.5	55.5	60.5	62.5	63	58	57.5	55.5	56	54	33	28	50.5	50	71.5	76	55.5	49.5	57.5	52
Owen	34	33	34	33	34	35.5	33	33	34	34	34	37	38.5	36	33	33	32	33	35	34	34	34
Glass	25	25	25	25	25	24	24	24	12.5	9.5	13	7.5	5	4	1	1	0	0	24	24	5.5	1.5
Cummings	5	5	4	3	3	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	4	2	2	2	3	2	0
Clark	2	2	2	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2.5	2.5	2	2	2	3	2	2	2	2	2	0
Adams	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bonniwell	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
W.J. Bryan	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Clay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cobb	1.5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Colby	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1
Daniels	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hines	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
A. Jones	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lardner	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lewis	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
T. Marshall	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pershing	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Robinson	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stewart	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Underwood	0	1	9	9	4	6	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Vice Presidential nomination

Cox asked the delegates to support former Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt, because, as some thought, he had a "magic name." FDR was nominated by voice vote and received the nomination by acclamation.^[7] After it became clear that Roosevelt was the choice of party leaders, former Ambassador David R. Francis of Missouri, Major General Lawrence Tyson of Tennessee, Governor Sam V. Stewart of Montana, former Governor James H. Hawley of Idaho, former FTC Chairman Joseph E. Davies of Wisconsin, William T. Vaughan of Oregon, and oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny of California all withdrew their candidacies.^[8]

References

^ Pietrusza, David (2007). 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents. New York: Carroll and Graf. ISBN 978-0-7867-1622-7.
^ Baldwin, Yvonne Honeycutt (2006). Cora Wilson Stewart and Kentucky's Moonlight Schools: Fighting for Literacy in America. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. p. 127.
^ Nelms, Willie (1997). Cora Wilson Stewart: Crusader Against Illiteracy. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 102. ISBN 9780786403349. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
^ Eblen, Tom (July 14, 2017). "Meet the Kentuckians who led the fight for women's rights a century ago". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
^ "First Woman to Get Vote for President - Laura Clay". Chicago Tribune. July 26, 1920. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
^ "M'Adoo Leads; 289 Votes on Second Ballot; Convention Adjourns to 9:30 a.m. Today; Platform Adopted and Bryan Defeated". partners.nytimes.com. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
^ Staff writer(s) (July 6, 1920). "Roosevelt Given Second Place; Convention Ends". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, CA. Retrieved February 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Democratic Ticket is Cox and Roosevelt; New Yorker Unopposed as Running Mate; Bryan is Sad, But Other Leaders Rejoice". New York Times. July 7, 1920. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

External links

Democratic Party Platform of 1920 at The American Presidency Project

Preceded by
1916
St. Louis, Missouri

Democratic National Conventions

Succeeded by
1924
New York, New York

(1919←) 1920 United States elections (→1921)

President

1920 United States presidential election
Democratic primaries
Republican primaries
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U.S.
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U.S.
House

State
governors

State
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(← 1916) 1920 United States presidential election (→ 1924)

Republican Party
(Convention)

Nominees	President: Warren G. Harding Vice President: Calvin Coolidge
Other candidates	Leonard Wood Frank Orren Lowden Hiram Johnson William Cameron Sproul Nicholas Murray Butler Calvin Coolidge Robert M. La Follette Jeter C. Pritchard Miles Poindexter Howard Sutherland Herbert Hoover

Democratic Party
(Convention)

Nominees	President: James M. Cox Vice President: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Other candidates	William Gibbs McAdoo A. Mitchell Palmer Al Smith John W. Davis Edward I. Edwards Woodrow Wilson (incumbent) Robert L. Owen

Third party and independent candidates
Socialist Party	Nominee: Eugene V. Debs VP nominee: Seymour Stedman
Farmer–Labor Party	Nominee: Parley P. Christensen VP nominee: Max S. Hayes
Prohibition Party	Nominee: Aaron S. Watkins VP nominee: D. Leigh Colvin
American Party	Nominee: James E. Ferguson VP nominee: William J. Hough
Socialist Labor Party	Nominee: William Wesley Cox VP nominee: August Gillhaus
Single Tax	Nominee: Robert Colvin Macauley VP nominee: Richard C. Barnum

Other 1920 elections: House
Senate

Democratic Party

History

National
conventions,
presidential
tickets,
and
presidential
primaries

1828 (None): Jackson/Calhoun
1832 (Baltimore): Jackson/Van Buren
1835 (Baltimore): Van Buren/R. Johnson
1840 (Baltimore): Van Buren/None
1844 (Baltimore): Polk/Dallas
1848 (Baltimore): Cass/Butler
1852 (Baltimore): Pierce/King
1856 (Cincinnati): Buchanan/Breckinridge
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1864 (Chicago): McClellan/Pendleton
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1880 (Cincinnati): Hancock/English
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1888 (Saint Louis): Cleveland/Thurman
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1896 (Chicago): W. Bryan/Sewall
1900 (Kansas City): W. Bryan/Stevenson I
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1908 (Denver): W. Bryan/Kern
1912 (Baltimore): Wilson/Marshall
- primaries
1916 (Saint Louis): Wilson/Marshall
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1920 (San Francisco): Cox/Roosevelt
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1924 (New York): J. Davis/C. Bryan
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1928 (Houston): Smith/Robinson
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1932 (Chicago): Roosevelt/Garner
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1936 (Philadelphia): Roosevelt/Garner
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1940 (Chicago): Roosevelt/Wallace
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and
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A. Stevenson (1827–1834)
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J. W. Stevenson (1873–1877)
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Money (1909–1911)
Martin (1911–1913)
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territorial
parties

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Congress	Senate Caucus Policy Committee Steering and Outreach Committee House Caucus Factions Blue Dog Coalition Congressional Progressive Caucus Justice Democrats New Democrat Coalition Problem Solvers Caucus
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v t e Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd President of the United States (1933–1945) 44th Governor of New York (1929–1932) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (1913–1920) New York State Senator (1911–1913)
Presidency (timeline)	Transition Inaugurations (1st 2nd 3rd 4th) First and second terms Third and fourth terms Foreign policy New Deal overview New Deal coalition First 100 days Second New Deal Federal Emergency Relief Administration Civilian Conservation Corps Agricultural Adjustment Act Emergency Banking Act Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Tennessee Valley Authority National Labor Relations Act of 1935 National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 Public Works Administration National Recovery Administration Works Progress Administration National Youth Administration Social Security Act Aid to Families with Dependent Children Communications Act of 1934 Federal Communications Commission Securities and Exchange Commission Monetary gold ownership Gold Reserve Act Silver seizure Record on civil rights Defense industry non-discrimination Fair Employment Practice Committee Indian Reorganization Act Executive Orders 9066, 9102 War Relocation Authority Japanese American internment German-American internment Italian-American internment Brownlow Committee Executive Office of the President G.I. Bill of Rights Cullen–Harrison Act Roerich Pact Four Freedoms Four Freedoms Monument Black Cabinet Jefferson's Birthday holiday Jefferson Memorial Judicial Court-Packing Bill Cannabis policy Federal Judicial appointments Supreme Court Harlan F. Stone Supreme Court nomination Wiley Rutledge Supreme Court nomination Cabinet "Brain Trust" March of Dimes Modern Oval Office Official car Criticism Executive Orders Presidential Proclamations
Presidential foreign policy	Banana Wars U.S. occupation of Nicaragua, 1912–1933 U.S. occupation of Haiti, 1915–1934 Good Neighbor Policy (1933–1945) Montevideo Convention (1933) Second London Naval Treaty (1936) ABCD line (1940) Export Control Act Four Policemen Destroyers-for-bases deal Lend-Lease 1940 Selective Service Act Hull note Atlantic Charter (1941) Military history of the United States during World War II Home front during World War II Combined Munitions Assignments Board War Production Board Declaration by United Nations (1942) Dumbarton Oaks Conference World War II conferences Quebec Agreement Europe first Morgenthau Plan support
Presidential speeches	1932 Acceptance speech Commonwealth Club Address Madison Square Garden speech "Four Freedoms" Day of Infamy speech Arsenal of Democracy "...is fear itself" Fireside chats "Look to Norway" Quarantine Speech "The More Abundant Life" State of the Union Address (1934 1938 1939 1940 1941 (Four Freedoms) 1944 (Second Bill of Rights) 1945)
Other events	Early life, education, career Warm Springs Institute Governorship of New York Business Plot Assassination attempt
Elections	1928 New York state election 1930 Democratic National Convention, 1920 1924 1932 1936 1940 1944 1920 United States presidential election 1932 theme song 1936 1940 1944
Life and homes	Early life and education Groton School Springwood birthplace, home, and gravesite Adams House FDR Suite Campobello home Paralytic illness Top Cottage Little White House, Warm Springs, Georgia
Legacy	Bibliography Statues Presidential Library and Museum Roosevelt Institute Roosevelt Institute Campus Network Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foundation Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial Roosevelt Island Four Freedoms Park White House Roosevelt Room Roosevelt Institute for American Studies USS Franklin D. Roosevelt USS Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award Four Freedoms paintings Unfinished portrait U.S. Postage stamps Roosevelt dime I'd Rather Be Right 1937 musical Films The Roosevelt Story 1947 Sunrise at Campobello 1960 Eleanor and Franklin 1976, The White House Years 1977 Backstairs at the White House 1979 miniseries World War II: When Lions Roared 1997 miniseries Warm Springs 2005 Hyde Park on Hudson 2012 The Roosevelts 2014 documentary The First Lady 2022 miniseries FDR 2023 miniseries Other namesakes
Family (Roosevelt • Delano)	Eleanor Roosevelt (wife) Anna Roosevelt Halsted (daughter) James Roosevelt II (son) Elliott Roosevelt (son) Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (son) John Aspinwall Roosevelt II (son) James Roosevelt I (father) Sara Ann Delano (mother) James Roosevelt Roosevelt (half-brother) Isaac Roosevelt (grandfather) Warren Delano Jr. (grandfather) Fala (family dog) Major (family dog)
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