Sheridan Downey: Difference between revisions

He was born in [[Laramie, Wyoming|Laramie]], the seat of [[Albany County, Wyoming|Albany County]] in westernsoutheastern [[Wyoming]], the son of the former Evangeline Victoria Owen and [[Stephen Wheeler Downey]]. He was educated in [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]] of Laramie, and attended the [[University of Wyoming]]. Downey attended the [[University of Michigan Law School]], and attained admission to the bar in 1907. In 1914, the school awarded Downey his [[bachelor of laws|LL.B.]] degree as of the graduating class of 1907.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=D000469|title=Downey, Sheridan|last=Downey|first=Sheridan}}</ref> He practiced law in Laramie, and in 1908 he was elected [[district attorney]] of Albany County as a Republican. In 1910 he married Helen Symons; they had five children. In 1912, Downey split Wyoming's Republican vote by heading the state's "Bull Moose" revolt in support of [[Theodore Roosevelt]], thus leading to a Democratic victory statewide.

After Sinclair's defeat, Downey became an attorney involved with Dr. [[Francis Townsend]], the main advocate of the Townsend Plan for [[government]] old-age [[pension]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/social-security/the-townsend-plan/|title=The Townsend Plan's Pension Scheme|last=DeWitt|first=Larry|date=December 2001|website=VCU Libraries}}</ref> Townsend's $200-a-month pension plan had won a large following in California, particularly among retirees. DowneysDowney's support lead to him writing ''Why I Believe in the Townsend Plan (1936).''<ref name=":2" /> In 1936, the two drifted apart, as Townsend supported [[Union Party (United States)|Union Party]] presidential nominee [[William Lemke]] of [[North Dakota]], and Downey remained a Democrat committed to [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]].

[[Category:PeoplePoliticians from San Francisco]]