Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor Mae Nolan, born in San Francisco, September 20th 1886. She attended a local business college. November 1922, her husband, a Republican Congressman, died in office. Nolan won special elections for the remainder of his term and for the next term. She chaired the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Video about this article. Here is an Instagram Video about this article. Here is a TikTok Video about this article. Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party , a history of GOP civil rights achievement. Each day...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Ronald Sing Wai Lew, born September 19th 1941 in Los Angeles. He attended Loyola Marymount University and served two years in the army. Graduating from Southwestern University School of Law, he was deputy city attorney for two years, then in private practice for seven, followed by six as pension commissioner. This ambitious son of hard-working immigrants helped establish the Chinatown Service Center and the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association. In 1982, a Democrat governor appointed the Republican jurist a Los Angeles Municipal Court judge, and two years later a Republican governor named him to the Los Angeles Superior Court. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. "The cases move along in front of Judge Lew. He's decisive. I think he has ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Othman Ali Abbott, born in Quebec, September 19th 1842. Age eight, the family moved to Illinois. During the Civil War, this son of an abolitionist served as lieutenant with the state's 9th Volunteer Cavalry. His regiment battled through Tennessee and Alabama. He survived two gunshot wounds. Peace restored, Abbott studied law and relocated to Nebraska. He participated at two constitutional conventions. In 1872, a Republican governor named him to a state senate vacancy. Four years later, this distinguished statesman was elected the state's first lieutenant governor. Abbott devoted much of his retirement to planting trees. His two daughters became notable suffragists. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our p...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor William McConnell, born near Detroit, September 18th 1839. Age twenty-one, he relocated to California, and then three years later, to Oregon, and a year after, to Idaho. Rather than mine for gold, McConnell prospered by raising vegetables for the miners. He was also a deputy U.S. marshal. Back in California, the savvy Republican served a term as state senate president. In 1884, McConnell returned to Idaho and opened a general store. His house is on the national register. He was delegate to the territory's constitutional convention. Statehood achieved, the legislature elected him a U.S. Senator. The 1891 Forest Reserve Act received his vote. President McKinley named him to the Indian Bureau. President Taft appointed him to the Immigration Service. His daughter married William Borah, a six-term Republican Senator. Back to ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute John Rhodes, born September 18th 1916. Calvin Coolidge was a childhood inspiration. His education was at Kansas State University and Harvard Law School. He served in the Army Air Force during WWII and later the Arizona Air National Guard. In 1952, while on the Board of Public Welfare, Rhodes became Arizona’s first Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This dedicated public servant won fourteen more terms. He was delegate at three GOP national conventions. The 1957, 1960, 1964 Civil Rights Acts and the 1965 Voting Rights Act received his vote. "God had a congressman in mind when He made John Rhodes. And he is just what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they designed the House of Representatives." Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote ...