L. Irving Handy

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = L. Irving Handy
honorific-suffix =

---

imagesize =
small

office = U.S. Representative from Delaware
term_start = March 4 1897
term_end = March 3 1899
predecessor = Jonathan S. Willis
successor = John H. Hoffecker
birth_date = birth date|1861|12|24|mf=y
birth_place = Berlin, Maryland
death_date =death date and age|1922|2|3|1861|12|24
death_place = Wilmington, Delaware
spouse = Mary Bell
party = Democratic
residence = Wilmington, Delaware
alma_mater = University of Delaware
occupation =
profession = educator
lawyer
religion =

Levin Irving Handy (December 24 1861 – February 3 1922) was an American educator, lawyer and politician, from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as U. S. Representative from Delaware. He was known by his middle name.

Early life and family

Handy was born December 24 1861 in Berlin, Maryland, son of the Rev. William C. Handy, a Presbyterian minister. His grandfathers were William W. Handy, a prominent Somerset County, Maryland lawyer, and the Rev. Robert J. Breckenridge of Kentucky. As the son of a frequently moving minister, he grew up living in multiple places, namely New York, Kentucky and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1883 and from the law department of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1888. He married Mary Bell in 1887 and they had two children, L. Irving Jr., and Margaret. He was also the nephew of William C.P. Breckenridge, a prominent Confederate Army officer and U.S. Representative from Kentucky.

Professional and political career

Before he earned his degree, Handy taught school at Damos Quarter, in Somerset County, Maryland, and in 1881, at the age of 19, was selected to be principal of the high school at Smyrna, Delaware. By 1887 he was superintendent of all the public schools in Kent County, Delaware, and by 1890 he had been hired as principal of Old Newark Academy, in Newark, Delaware. Meanwhile, he was studying the law with John R. Nicholson of Dover, Delaware and frequently speaking at teacher’s training schools in the region.Retiring from teaching in 1892, he became an editorial writer for the Wilmington Every Evening newspaper, and in 1899 was admitted to the Bar and began the practice of law in Delaware. He lived at 917 Washington Street in Delaware, the remainder of his life.

With his retirement from teaching he took a more active role in politics, becoming chairman of the Democratic State Committee from 1892 until 1896. He sought the 1894 Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative, but lost it to Samuel Bancroft, Jr., who himself lost in the election.

Handy was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1896, defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Jonathan S. Willis. During this term, he served in the Democratic minority in the 55th Congress. Seeking reelection in 1898, he lost to Republican John H. Hoffecker, a Smyrna businessman and relative of his wife. In all he served from March 4, 1897 until March 3 1899, during the administration of U.S. President William McKinley. Subsequently, Handy remained active in politics, attending the Democratic National Conventions of 1900, 1904, and 1908, and losing an election for state Attorney General in 1904. He ran for U.S. Representative one more time, in 1908, but lost to Republican William H. Heald.

Death and legacy

Handy died February 3 1922 in Wilmington, Delaware and is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Smyrna, Delaware. His daughter, Margaret, became a prominent physician in Wilmington. She practiced for fifty-five years, and was a leader in establishing milk banks for premature babies. Andrew Wyeth painted her portrait and named it ‘’Children’s Doctor.’’

Public offices

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. U.S. Representatives took office March 4th and have terms of two years.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
- Party shading/Anti-Masonic
U.S. Representative
Legislature
Washington
1896
March 4 1897
March 3 1899|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Election results

{| class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc
Year
Office

Subject
Party
Votes
%

Opponent
Party
Votes
%
-
1896
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Democratic |L. Irving Handy
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic | 16,512
Party shading/Democratic |45%|
Party shading/Republican |Jonathan S. Willis
Robert G. Houston
Party shading/Republican |Union Republican
Regular Republican
Party shading/Republican |12,828
7,189
Party shading/Republican |35%
20%
-
1898
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Democratic | L. Irving Handy
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |15,053
Party shading/Democratic |46%|
Party shading/Republican |John H. Hoffecker
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |17,566
Party shading/Republican |54%
-
1908
U.S. Representative|
Party shading/Democratic |L. Irving Handy
Party shading/Democratic |Democratic
Party shading/Democratic |22,515
Party shading/Democratic |47%|
Party shading/Republican |William H. Heald
Party shading/Republican |Republican
Party shading/Republican |24,314
Party shading/Republican |51%
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

*cite book |title= Delawareans in Congress, the House of Representatives 1789-1900. |last= Martin |first= Roger A.. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= |location= |pages= |year= 2003 |id= ISBN 0-924117-26-5
*cite web |url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000156 |accessdate= 2006-09-01|title= Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress |author= |last= |first= |coauthors= |work= |publisher= U.S Congress |pages= |year=

External links

* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/sentbio5.htm#handy Delaware and U.S. History]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/handerson-hanlan.html#R9M0IZD9H The Political Graveyard]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7871710 Find a Grave]

Places with more information

* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone].
* [http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/libraries/newark/library1.asp Newark Free Library] 750 Library Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone].
* [http://www.corbitlibrary.org/ Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library] 2nd and High St., Odessa, Delaware [phone].
* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone].