H26.1558

Photograph, historical: "Presentation of Centennial Stamp at California Gold Discovery Centennial, Coloma, 1-24-1948. Presentation by Joseph Lawler, Third Assistant Postmaster General and accepted by Governor Warren. Right to left: Senator Fred Weybret, Joseph Lawler, Governor Warren, J. R. Knowland (Chairman of Commission), and second from Mr. Knowland, Senator H. E. Dillier" r Penny Mendelsohn 11/8/01 Bibliography: The Beginnings of Oakland, California A.U.C. by Peter Thomas Conmy; Oakland Library, 1961 Joseph Russell Knowland was born in Alameda on August 5, 1873. He was educated in the local schools and at College of the Pacific. He was elected to the Assembly in 1898 and to the State Senate in 1902. In November 1904 he was elected to the office of Representative in Congress to fulfill the unexpired term of Victor H. Metcalf, who had been appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Theodore Roosevelt. Later he was re-elected for the full term beginning March 4, 1905. He served in the Congress until March 4, 1915. He retired from office, his term as Representative having expired. (He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate and lost due to the split in the Republican Party between his candidacy and that of Francis T. Heaney, resulting in the election of James D. Phelan, a Democrat.) In July 1915 he acquired control of the Oakland Tribune and was its publisher and editor until the 1960's . He gave great leadership to the development of California, notably through the State Chamber of Commerce, of which he was a director. He also served the State Park Commission as a member for a quarter of a century ending in 1960 and as its Chairman for sixteen years. He was the president of the California Historical Society, and was Grand President of the Native Sons of the Golden West. He died in 1966.