Voting Station

Roscoe Conkling

Please vote to return to collections.

U.S. Senator

The Resume

    (October 30, 1829-April 18, 1888)
    Born in Albany, New York
    U.S. Representative (1859-63,1865-67) and Senator (1867-81) from New York
    Republican

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a lawyer.
    As leader of the Stalwart faction in the Republican Party, he unsuccessfully campaigned for U.S. Grant to get a third presidential term.
    He was a notorious nymphomaniac.
    Caught in bed with glamorous socialite Kate Chase, he was chased out the backdoor of her summer estate by her shotgun-wielding husband, Rhode Island governor William Sprague IV.
    He rejected a Supreme Court appointment, despite having already been confirmed by the Senate.
    He resigned the Senate due to conflicts with President Garfield.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He worked tirelessly for the rights of the poor and powerless.
    His support for African Americans never wavered, with him opposing the Supreme Court's infamous Dred Scott decision, framing the 14th and 15th Amendments and impactful in the passage of the 1875 Civil Rights Act.
    He wed Julia Seymour, the sister of New York's Democratic governor (1855).
    He proved an eloquent, passionate and skilled statesman.
    He died from walking in a blizzard in New York City.
    Due to his popularity and colorful personality, his name became popular for baby boys, including Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle.
    From the pose featured on the statue, the man evidently possessed immense swagger. (See photo.)

Credit: Black Chic


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 27 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 19 Votes: 57.89% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying