Charles Curtis

Charles Curtis
Curtis in 1931
31st Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933
President	Herbert Hoover
Preceded by	Charles G. Dawes
Succeeded by	John Nance Garner
2nd United States Senate Majority Leader
In office March 9, 1925 – March 4, 1929
Preceded by	Henry Cabot Lodge
Succeeded by	James E. Watson
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office December 4, 1911 – December 12, 1911
Preceded by	Augustus O. Bacon
Succeeded by	Augustus O. Bacon
United States Senator from Kansas
In office January 29, 1907 – March 4, 1913 March 4, 1915 – March 4, 1929
Preceded by	Alfred W. Benson Joseph L. Bristow
Succeeded by	William H. Thompson Henry J. Allen
U.S. Representative from Kansas
In office March 4, 1893 – January 28, 1907
Personal details
Born	(1860-01-25)January 25, 1860 Topeka, Kansas
Died	February 8, 1936(1936-02-08) (aged 76) Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Annie Elizabeth Baird Curtis (died on June 20, 1924)
Children	Permelia Jeannette Curtis, Henry "Harry" King Curtis, Leona Virginia Curtis

Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 – February 8, 1936) was an American politician. He was the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under President Herbert Hoover. Before becoming vice president, he had been a senator and a representative from Kansas.

Curtis, the only Native American vice president in American history, was a member of the Kaw Nation. Curtis was the first vice president of color, the other being Vice President Kamala Harris. Curtis called himself "one-eighth Kaw Indian and a one-hundred percent Republican." In 1900, Kaw Chief Washungah called Curtis "one of our own men."

Curtis grew up in Kansas and spoke the Kaw language. While he was in government, Curtis did some good things for Native Americans, but also some bad things. In 1898, he sponsored the Curtis Act of 1898, which took power away from tribal leaders.

Charles Curtis Media

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  Portrait by C. M. Bell c. 1893–1894

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  Portrait by G. V. Buck, 1908

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  Senator Curtis (right) with President Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge on their way to the Capitol building on Inauguration Day, March 4, 1925

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  Curtis served as deputy to then–Senate Majority Leader Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA), shown here in 1921, and would succeed him upon Lodge's death in 1924.

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  Portrait by Harris & Ewing c. 1929–1933

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  Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald and British Ambassador Esmé Howard greeted by Vice President Curtis at the United States Capitol, 1929

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  Curtis at the 1929 inauguration with the "United States Indian Band"

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  Charles Curtis's vice-presidential bust

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  Vice President Curtis receives a peace pipe from the Lakota Red Tomahawk, slayer of Sitting Bull.

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  Vice President Curtis during the summer of 1929 before the Depression