Thomas B. Catron, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Thomas B. Catron

American politician

Date of Birth: 06-Oct-1840

Place of Birth: Lexington, Missouri, United States

Date of Death: 15-May-1921

Profession: politician

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Thomas Benton Catron (October 6, 1840 – May 15, 1921) was an American politician and lawyer who was influential in the establishment of the U.S.
state of New Mexico, and served as one of its first United States Senators. Catron was a native of Missouri and a graduate of the University of Missouri.
He was a Confederate States Army veteran of the American Civil War.
After the war, he moved to New Mexico Territory, where he learned Spanish, studied law, and attained admission to the bar.
A Republican even though most southerners were Democrats, Catron soon made his mark in both law and politics, including serving as a district attorney, territorial attorney general (1869-1872), and United States Attorney for New Mexico (1872-1878).
He later served on the New Mexico Territorial Council (1884, 1888, 1889), as the Territorial Delegate to Congress (1895-1897), President of the New Mexico Bar Association (1895), and Mayor of Santa Fe (1906-1908). In addition to practicing law, Catron used his knowledge of New Mexico's old Spanish land grants to acquire title to more than 3 million acres, making him the largest landholder in the state.
When New Mexico achieved statehood, the legislature elected Catron one of the state's first U.S.
Senators.
He served from 1912 to 1916, and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1916.
He died in Santa Fe, and was buried in Santa Fe's Fairview Cemetery.