# Moses E. Clapp *American lawyer and politician who served as Minnesota Attorney General and as a United States senator from Minnesota* Moses Edwin Clapp (May 21, 1851 – March 6, 1929), a lawyer and politician, was [[Minnesota Attorney General]] from 1887 to 1893. He later represented [[Minnesota]] in the [[United States Senate]] from January 28, 1901, to March 3, 1917.[^1] Clapp began his legal career in Wisconsin, where he was a county district attorney, before moving to Minnesota. He lost the 1896 gubernatorial primary to the incumbent. He then won a 1900 special election for a Senate seat and was reelected twice. His Senate service ended after his party did not renominate him in 1916.[^1] ## Biography Clapp's birthplace was Delphi, Indiana. His parents later took the family to Hudson, Wisconsin.[^1] He studied at the University of Wisconsin Law School and set up a law practice in Hudson. He was also district attorney of St. Croix County, Wisconsin.[^1] He afterward relocated to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where he continued to practice law.[^1] From 1887 to 1893 he held the office of Minnesota Attorney General.[^1] In 1896 he ran for [[Governor of Minnesota|governor of Minnesota]] but lost the primary to the incumbent, [[David Marston Clough]].[^1] Cushman Davis's death left one of Minnesota's Senate seats vacant, and Clapp won the 1900 special election to fill it.[^1] Voters returned him to the seat in 1904 and again in 1910.[^1] His tenure ran from January 28, 1901, to March 3, 1917, covering the 57th through 64th Congresses.[^1] In 1916 his party declined to renominate him.[^1] In 1906 Clapp presented Richard C. Adams's *A Brief History of the Delaware Indians* to the 59th Congress for publication.[^1] In 1908 he carried a letter of thanks from President Roosevelt to Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig.[^1] Clapp was one of the co-founders of William Mitchell College of Law. The other co-founders were Hiram F. Stevens, Ambrose Tighe, [[Thomas D. O'Brien]], and Clarence Halbert.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Moses Edwin Clapp, a lawyer and politician, was born May 21, 1851, and died March 6, 1929.[^1] - He co-founded William Mitchell College of Law with Hiram F. Stevens, Ambrose Tighe, Thomas D. O'Brien, and Clarence Halbert.[^1] ### What - Clapp held the office of Minnesota Attorney General.[^1] - Clapp was a United States senator from Minnesota.[^1] ### When - Attorney General service: 1887 to 1893.[^1] - Gubernatorial primary defeat: 1896.[^1] - Senate special election: 1900. Senate service began January 28, 1901.[^1] - Senate reelections: 1904 and 1910. Senate service ended March 3, 1917, after he was not renominated in 1916.[^1] - 1906: he presented *A Brief History of the Delaware Indians* by Richard C. Adams to the 59th Congress for publication.[^1] - 1908: he delivered a letter of thanks from President Roosevelt to Chief May-zhuc-ke-ge-shig.[^1] ### Where - He was born in Delphi, Indiana, and moved to Hudson, Wisconsin. He later practiced law in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.[^1] ### How - He entered the Senate by winning the 1900 special election for the seat vacated by Cushman Davis's death.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Moses E. Clapp* (retrieved 2026-10-25; revision 1373180947), CC BY-SA 4.0 — Clapp's birth, legal career, attorney general service, gubernatorial primary, Senate service, and co-founding of William Mitchell College of Law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_E._Clapp