Albert J. (Albert Jeremiah) Beveridge

Born in Ohio in 1862 and raised in modest circumstances, Beveridge worked his way through Indiana Asbury University, now DePauw University, studied law, and built a career in Indianapolis. He became known as a gifted orator and won election to the U.S. Senate from Indiana, serving from 1899 to 1911.

In politics, he was one of the best-known voices of the Progressive Era. He supported a stronger national government and backed several reform causes, though he is also remembered for defending American expansion overseas, a position that remains controversial.

After his Senate years, he devoted himself increasingly to history and biography. He wrote a major study of Chief Justice John Marshall and later worked on a biography of Abraham Lincoln, helping secure his place not only as a politician but also as a serious historical writer.