PURNELL, Fred Sampson
(1882 - 1939)
Arch Bobbitt, Republican State Chairman – I am very sorry to hear of the passing of former Congressman Purnell. He had many friends in Indiana. During his long service in Congress, he became an influential and respected member of that body. He was known throughout the country for his work and was an outstanding member of the agriculture committee while he was in Congress.”
President Herman B. Wells, Indiana University – “The passing of Fred S. Purnell will be mourned by Indiana University alumni everywhere. He was one of the university’s distinguished sons and one who was ever prompt to respond to a call from his alma mater. I personally treasured his friendship and I sorrow with thousands in Indiana at his passing.”
Among those who
called at the hospital during were Richard N. Elliott, Connersville, Ind and
Everett Sanders, Terre Haute, who served in Congress with Purnell. Mr. Purnell became a member of the “World
War” Congress of 1917. He was a popular member of Congress, enjoying the esteem
of his colleagues on both sides of the aisles.
At the time of his retirement, a defeat by Virginia Jenckes in 1932,
Purnell was a member of the Republican steering committee and the ranking member of the committee on agriculture. - kbz
PURNELL, Fred Sampson, a Representative from Indiana; born on a farm near Veedersburg, Fountain County, Ind., October 25, 1882; attended the common schools and the high school at Veedersburg; was graduated from the law department of Indiana University at Bloomington in 1904; was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Attica, Fountain County, Ind.; city attorney of Attica 1910-1914; resumed the practice of his profession; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress; elected as a Republican to the Sixty-fifth and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1917-March 3, 1933); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress and for election in 1934 to the Seventy-fourth Congress; resumed the practice of law in Attica, Ind.; moved to Washington, D.C., in April 1939 and served as an attorney in the General Accounting Office until his resignation on October 1, 1939; died in Washington, D.C., October 21, 1939; interment in Rockfield Cemetery, near Veedersburg, Ind.
US Congressional Biographies.
Waveland Independent, Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, Oct 27, 1939
It is with regret that we note the death in Washington Saturday of Fred PURNELL. He had entered the Walter Reed Hospital Tuesday for treatment. He has been in bad health for the past two years. He was born in Fountain Co Oct 25, 1882. He graduated from IU Law School and practiced law in Attica until he became active in politics and represented the 9th Indiana District for 12 years. When the district was broken up and his county became part of the 6th district, he was again returned to Congress but went down in the 1932 landslide. While in congress he was ever attentive to the needs of his constituent. He was author of one of the early farm bills. Funeral services were held yesterday in the Veedersburg Christian Church.
Source: Indianapolis Star Sun 22 Oct
1939 p 1
Washington, Oct 21 – Fred S. Purnell, 57
years old, who represented the old Ninth Indiana District in Congress form 1917
to 1933, died today in Walter Reed Hospital of pneumonia.
Purnell, a Republican served on the
House Agriculture and Rules Committees. He sponsored some important farm
legislation, including a measure to permit patenting of agriculture
products. He was the author of the Purnell
Act, which increased the appropriations and broadened the scope of agricultural
experiment stations and was sponsor of the $10,000,000 appropriation of 10
years ago for eradication of the corn borer. He assisted in the drafting and
passage of the agricultural marketing act enacted by the special session of
congress called by President Hoover to aid agriculture.
The widow and two sons, Samuel of New
York and Fritz of Chicago survive.
Burial will be at Veedersburg, Ind, Wednesday. Purnell was chairman of
the Speakers’ Bureau of the Republican national committee during the 1936
campaign. His health had been poor for a
year but he did not become seriously ill until a week ago. After failing to win
reelection in 1932, Purnell returned to law practice in Attica, Ind but about
two years ago took a position with the general account office here. Brief
services will be held Sunday afternoon at a funeral home. Later the body will
be taken to Veedersburg for services at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the home of a relative.
Burial will be in Rockfield Cemetery.
Mr. Purnell was born south of
Veedersburg, Fountain County, Indiana, Oct 25, 1882, the son of Samuel J. and
Odessa (Furr) Purnell. Educated in the
high school at Veedersburg, Indiana, he graduated from Indiana University in
1904 and married Elizabeth Shoaf of Veedersburg, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. FA
Shoaf on June 27, 1907. Admitted to the
Indiana Bar in 1904, he moved to Attica to practice law. He was city attorney
four years.
Mr. Purnell was a member of the Christian
(Disciples) Church, member of Delta Tau
Delta and Phi Delta Phi fraternities, a 32nd Degree Mason and
Shriner. He was a member of the K of P Lodge in Attica, the Elks’ Lodge of
Lafayette and the Columbia Club of Indianapolis.
Friends and political associates last
night joined in tribute to the career of Fred S. Purnell. Comments from various
Indiana citizens who had known him included:
Arch Bobbitt, Republican State Chairman – I am very sorry to hear of the passing of former Congressman Purnell. He had many friends in Indiana. During his long service in Congress, he became an influential and respected member of that body. He was known throughout the country for his work and was an outstanding member of the agriculture committee while he was in Congress.”
President Herman B. Wells, Indiana University – “The passing of Fred S. Purnell will be mourned by Indiana University alumni everywhere. He was one of the university’s distinguished sons and one who was ever prompt to respond to a call from his alma mater. I personally treasured his friendship and I sorrow with thousands in Indiana at his passing.”
J. Frank McDermond Jr publisher of the
Attica Ledger-Tribune: “Fred Purnell was one of my closest friends and his
death shocks me deeply. I can hardly believe it. We were together many years.
His files are in my office and we shared the same desk. Only last week in
Washington he confided to me his plans for the future and he seemed
considerably buoyed up after our long talk at his home. I’m truly sorry.”
Washington Oct 21 – Fred S. Purnell,
Attica, Ind, a member of Congress for 16 years, who died here today, entered
the hospital Wednesday. He became progressively worse. He was able to recognize
Judge Oscar Bland, formerly of Linton, Ind and once a colleague in Congress and
a son, Fritz Purnell, who arrived form Chicago when they visited the hospital
yesterday. But today he passed into a deep sleep that caused fear he would not
live through the night. Mrs. Purnell and their two sons, Fritz and Sam, the
latter arriving from New York, spent the day at his bedside, resigned to
approaching death.
File Created: 2006-Aug-29
