Philander Knox
Brownsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born May 6, 1853 in a house still standing on Front Street. Attorney-General in 1901, leading the anti-trust fight. A U.S. Senator, 1904-09. Secretary of State under Taft. Re-elected Senator in 1917. Died in 1921.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Philander Knox was born here in Brownsville in 1853, in a house that still stood when this marker was placed. As Attorney General beginning in 1901 he became the government's leading trust-buster, wielding federal law against the great corporate combinations of the age. He went on to serve as a U.S. Senator and as Secretary of State under President Taft, shaping American diplomacy before his death in 1921.
Why it matters
His career embodies the Progressive Era's struggle to bring giant corporations under the rule of law and to define America's role in the world.
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Related people
- · Philander Knox
- · William Howard Taft
Themes & tags
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