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Joseph Little Bristow

Joseph Bristow

Politician. Republican. Born: July 22, 1861, Wolf County, Kentucky. Died: July 14, 1944, Virginia. Served in U.S. Senate: March 4, 1909, to March 4, 1915.

Joseph L. Bristow was born July 22, 1861, in Wolf County, Kentucky. He came to Kansas with his father in 1873 and graduated from Baker University in 1886. He was active in Republican Party politics and owned newspapers in Ottawa and Salina before his election to the Senate. He also had served in the post office department during the McKinley and Roosevelt administrations. Bristow is remembered for recommending Dwight D. Eisenhower to the United States Military Academy. Three years after his unsuccessful bid for a second term, Bristow moved to an estate in Virginia. There he engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death in 1944. He was buried in Salina.

Entry: Bristow, Joseph Little

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: June 2011

Date Modified: May 2012

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.