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American politician (1876–1952)
Don B. Colton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Utah's 1st district
In office
March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1933
Preceded byMilton H. Welling
Succeeded byAbe Murdock
Member of the Utah Senate
In office
1915–1917
Member of the Utah House of Representatives
In office
1903
Personal details
Born(1876-09-15)September 15, 1876
Mona, Utah Territory
DiedAugust 1, 1952(1952-08-01) (aged 75)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Resting placeWasatch Lawn Cemetery
PartyRepublican
Spouse(s)Mazie Hall
Grace Stringham
Children4
Alma materBrigham Young University
University of Michigan Law School

Don Byron Colton (September 15, 1876 – August 1, 1952) was an American lawyer and politician who served six consecutive terms as a U.S. representative from Utah from 1921 to 1933.

Early life

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Born near Mona, Juab County, Utah Territory, Colton moved with his parents to Uintah County, Utah Territory in 1879. He attended the public schools and the Uintah Academy, Vernal, Utah. He was graduated from the commercial department of Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, in 1896. He graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1905. He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Vernal, Utah.

Political career

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Colton was receiver of the United States land office at Vernal from 1905 to 1914. He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1904, 1924, and 1928 as well as a delegate to the Republican State conventions from in 1914 and 1924. He was an unsuccessful candidate for United States Senator in 1934.

Utah House of Representatives

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Colton served as member of the Utah House of Representatives in 1903. He also served as member of the State senate from 1915 to 1917.

Congress

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Colton was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1933). He served as chairman of the Committee on Elections No. 1 (Sixty-ninth and Seventieth Congresses), Committee on Public Lands (Seventieth and Seventy-first Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress. While in Congress Colton served as the Sunday School teacher for the LDS Church Sunday School in Washington, D.C.[1]

Campaign for governor

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He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Utah in 1940, losing the race to Herbert Maw 52% to 48%.[2]

Professional career

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He engaged in teaching in 1898, 1901, and 1902. Colton resumed the practice of law in Vernal, Utah.

From 1910 to 1921 Colton served as the president of the Uintah Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[3] From 1933 to 1937, Colton served as president of the Eastern States Mission of the LDS Church.[4]

He moved to Salt Lake City in 1937 and continued the practice of law.

He also engaged in farming, ranching, sheep and stock raising, and other business enterprises.

Death

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Colton died in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 1, 1952. Immediately prior to this he was serving as the head of the LDS Church mission home in Salt Lake City.[5] Colton had been serving in this position since he had taken over from J. Wyley Sessions in 1938.

Colton was interred in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery.

Electoral history

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1920 United States House of Representatives elections[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton 42,249 57.49
Democratic James W. Funk 28,160 38.32
Farmer–Labor John O. Watters 3,083 4.19
Total votes 73,492 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic
1922 United States House of Representatives elections[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton (Incumbent) 33,188 52.73
Democratic Milton H. Welling 27,801 44.17
Farmer–Labor John O. Watters 1,949 3.10
Total votes 62,938 100.0
Republican hold
1924 United States House of Representatives elections[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton (Incumbent) 40,883 54.86
Democratic Frank Francis 33,644 45.14
Total votes 74,527 100.0
Republican hold
1926 United States House of Representatives elections[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton (Incumbent) 44,007 61.44
Democratic Ephraim Bergeson 27,198 37.97
Socialist John O. Watters 426 0.59
Total votes 71,631 100.0
Republican hold
1928 United States House of Representatives elections[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton (Incumbent) 50,274 60.89
Democratic Knox Patterson 31,889 38.62
Socialist John O. Watters 408 0.49
Total votes 82,571 100.0
Republican hold
1930 United States House of Representatives elections[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Don B. Colton (Incumbent) 45,875 60.77
Democratic Joseph Ririe 29,210 38.70
Socialist A. W. Clemons 402 0.53
Total votes 75,487 100.0
Republican hold

Sources

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  1. ↑ Kimball, Spencer W., talk in October 1968 general conference
  2. ↑ Powell, Allan Kent (1994), "Elections in the State of Utah", in Powell, Allan Kent (ed.), Utah History Encyclopedia, Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, ISBN 0874804256, OCLC 30473917, archived from the original on January 13, 2017, retrieved October 30, 2013
  3. ↑ Andrew Jenson. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 651
  4. ↑ Conference Report, April 1935 - Elder Don B. Colton[permanent dead link]
  5. ↑ Conferences Report General Conference of the LDS Church, October 1952, p. 4
  6. ↑ "1920 Election Results" (PDF).
  7. ↑ "1922 Election Results" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "1924 Election Results" (PDF).
  9. ↑ 1926 Election Results
  10. ↑ "1928 Election Results" (PDF).
  11. ↑ "1930 Election Results" (PDF).

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Federal government of the United States.

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