Kahn, Julius, 1861-1924

Hide Profile

Julius Kahn (February 28, 1861 – December 18, 1924) was a United States Congressman who was succeeded by his wife Florence Prag Kahn after his death. He has been described by the American Jerusalem as "among the most influential Jews in San Francisco—as well as national–civic life, from the middle of the 19th century into the 1930s".

Kahn was born in Kuppenheim, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, in what would become Germany. He immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in California in 1866. After studying law in San Francisco, he was elected a member of the State Assembly in 1892 and admitted to the bar in January 1894. He was elected as a Republican to the 56th and 57th Congresses (March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903). Although he unsuccessfully contested the election of Edward J. Livernash to the 58th Congress, he was elected to the 59th and to the nine succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1905 until his death in 1924.

During his time in the House of Representatives he was noted as an advocate of military preparedness. He helped draft and secure the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, the Selective Service Act of 1917, and the National Defense Act of 1920. He served as chairman of Committee on Military Affairs (66th–68th Congresses). Representative Kahn also authored the Kahn Exclusion Act, ultimately enacted as the Alien Exclusion Act, telling Congress that "I submit if the Chinese people themselves would deal honestly with us, and if they resorted less to trickery and duplicity to circumvent our laws, then there would be no need of closing up all possible loopholes in the law with the seemingly severely restrictive measures that the Chinese themselves make necessary."

At the time of his death, he had been re-elected to the 69th Congress. His wife, Florence Prag Kahn, succeeded him in Congress and served until 1937. He was buried in the Home of Peace Cemetery in Colma, California. A well-known playground and adjacent ballpark in San Francisco was named in his honor; in 2018, it was proposed to strip his name from the playground due to the fact that he championed the extension of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1902.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Hench, Philip S., 1896-1965. Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection, 1806-1995, bulk 1863-1974 Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia
creatorOf Flint, Frank P. (Frank Putnam), b. 1862. Letters from California congressmen concerning the passage of the Telepost bill, [1909-1910]. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Stratton, Frederick Smith, 1859-1915. Frederick Smith Stratton papers, circa 1886-1917. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn College history collection, 1915-1985. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Bernard A. Reinold papers, 1893-1924 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Oliver Lyman Spaulding papers, 1861-1921 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Addresses and articles (bound), 1899-1921. Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Kahn, Florence P. Florence Prag Kahn and Julius Kahn family papers, 1852-1948. Judah L. Magnes Memorial Museum, Rabbi Morris Goldstein Library
creatorOf Kahn, Julius, 1861-1924. Julius Kahn letter : Washington, D.C., to W.C. Burnett in San Francisco, Calif. : TLS, 1905 Dec. 2. California historical society
referencedIn Harry H. Bandholtz Papers (Microform), ca. 1890-ca. 1937, 1899-1925 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Kahn, Julius, 1861-1924. Julius Kahn letters to Bro. MacKay, March 5 and 9, 1888. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Sherman, Edwin Allen, 1829-1914. Edwin Allen Sherman papers, 1872-1971, (bulk 1896-1913). UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Reinold, Bernard. Bernard A. Reinold papers, 1893-1924. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Western Jewish History Center. Western Jewish History Center Zionism in the San Francisco Bay Area collection, 1899-2005. Judah L. Magnes Memorial Museum, Rabbi Morris Goldstein Library
referencedIn De Young Memorial Museum Collection, 1914-1919 Hoover Institution Archives
referencedIn William Frederic Badè papers, 1871-1936 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Keesling, Francis Valentine, b. 1877. Francis V. Keesling papers, 1906-1957. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf O'Brien, Joseph J. Joseph J. O'Brien papers : ms., and printed, 1911. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Francis Valentine Keesling Papers, 1906-1957 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Francis B. (Francis Butler) Loomis Papers : microfilm, 1897-1939 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917. William H. Moody papers, 1879-1916. Library of Congress
referencedIn The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection Bancroft Library
creatorOf Kahn, Julius, 1861-1924. Julius Kahn letter : Washington, D.C., to J.W. Raphael, San Francisco, Calif., 1918 May 24. UC Berkeley Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Badè, William Frederic, 1871-1936 person
correspondedWith Badè, William Frederic, 1871-1936 person
associatedWith Bandholtz, Harry Hill, 1864-1925 person
associatedWith Burnett, W. C. (Wellington Cleveland), 1830?-1907. person
associatedWith Bush, Peter, 1817-1903. person
memberOf California. Legislature. Assembly corporateBody
associatedWith Carter, Henry Rose, 1852-1925 person
associatedWith College of Environmental Science and Forestry. corporateBody
associatedWith De Young Memorial Museum corporateBody
associatedWith Francis Valentine Keesling person
associatedWith Hench, Philip S. (Philip Showalter), 1896-1965 person
associatedWith Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905. person
spouseOf Kahn, Florence P. (Florence Prag), 1866-1948 person
associatedWith Kean, Jefferson Randolph, 1860-1950 person
associatedWith Keesling, Francis Valentine, b. 1877. person
associatedWith Lazear, Jesse William, 1866-1900 person
associatedWith Loomis, Francis B. (Francis Butler), 1861-1948. person
correspondedWith Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917. person
associatedWith O'Brien, Joseph J. person
associatedWith Raphael, J. W. person
associatedWith Reed, Walter, 1851-1902 person
associatedWith Reinold, Bernard person
associatedWith Reinold, Bernard. person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919 person
associatedWith Sherman, Edwin Allen, 1829-1914. person
associatedWith Spaulding, Mr. (Oliver Lyman), 1833-1922 person
associatedWith Stratton, Frederick Smith, 1859-1915. person
associatedWith Treat, George. person
associatedWith United States. Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House person
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Pensions. corporateBody
correspondedWith Western Jewish History Center. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Calaveras County CA US
Kuppenheim 01 DE
San Francisco CA US
Subject
Theater
Theater
Legislators
Occupation
Actors
Lawyers
Representatives, U.S. Congress
State Representative
Activity

Person

Birth 1861-02-28

Death 1924-12-18

Male

Americans,

Germans

German,

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tn82xs

Ark ID: w6tn82xs

SNAC ID: 86607125