Alexander Dockery (D)

Overview

At a Glance

• Governed Missouri when the state paid its $1.4 million bond debt
• Signed legislation requiring automobile licenses (1903)
• Channeled booming state revenue into appropriations for public schools and state institutions
• Helped direct Missouri’s participation in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, better known as the St. Louis World’s Fair

Personal History

Alexander Monroe Dockery was born on Feb. 11, 1845, near Gallatin, Missouri, the only child of Willis E. and Sarah Ellen Dockery. He attended public schools and briefly studied at the Macon Academy prior to enrolling at St. Louis Medical College. He graduated from medical school in 1865. Following a year of postgraduate work at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Dockery established a medical practice at Linneus, Missouri. He then moved to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he married Mary E. Bird in 1869.

In addition to his work as a physician, Dockery found time to serve on the local board of education. In 1872, he began a 10-year stint as a curator of the University of Missouri. While still living in Chillicothe, Dockery formed a partnership with a local druggist, Thomas Bootin Yates, to purchase a bank in Gallatin. He moved to Gallatin and proved to be an adept money manager, a talent he subsequently put to good use during his political career.

After his term as governor ended in 1905, Dockery returned to Gallatin. He devoted his energies to civic affairs and to the oversight of local road building and maintenance. In 1913, U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson appointed Dockery an assistant postmaster general with responsibility for managing the postal department's financial operations. After serving in this capacity until 1921, he returned to Gallatin, where he died on December 26, 1926. He was buried in Edgewood Cemetery in Chillicothe.

Political History

Dockery served on the Gallatin City Council, and he was elected mayor in 1881. He also assumed an active role in Democratic politics. In 1882, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving for 16 years.

Dockery’s work in the U.S. House focused on finances, the U.S. Postal Service, and issues directly affecting his constituency. For 10 years in the House, he was a member of the Committee on Appropriations, where his work earned him the title "watchdog of the Treasury." Dockery was instrumental in modifying accounting methods used by the U.S. Treasury Department. He also served on the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, a committee that has not existed since the mid-1940s. Many of Dockery’s constituents in western and northwestern Missouri were farmers; Dockery considered high tariffs harmful to farmers—his constituents—and opposed such taxes on imports or exports.

In 1900, Dockery announced his intention to run for governor. He ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican Joseph Flory in the general election.

During his term, Gov. Dockery concentrated on efficient fiscal management of state government. As Missouri businesses boomed, state revenue from incorporation permits and property taxes grew. This allowed Gov. Dockery’s administration to increase appropriations for state institutions and public schools; in addition, the state liquidated its $1.4 million bonded indebtedness. Dockery also helped direct the state's participation in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, better known as the St. Louis World's Fair.

When Gov. Dockery sought a second term in 1904, he faced Joseph W. Folk in the Democratic primary. Folk was a reform-minded circuit attorney in St. Louis. Dockery lobbied against his bid; however, Folk secured the nomination and then triumphed in the general election.

Historical Significance

After several years of incurring debt because state government expanded its services, the state paid off its $1.4 million bond debt during Gov. Dockery's term. The state acquired this ability in large part because of previous Missouri governors who, like Dockery, were fiscally conservative and adept at managing the state's finances. With business booming and state revenue rising, Gov. Dockery’s administration was able to erase the state debt and use the surplus to aid state institutions and public schools.

Gov. Dockery's approval of legislation requiring drivers to license their automobiles made Missouri the first state to do so. This law also set the first statewide speed limit in the nation at nine miles per hour and required motorists to sound a whistle or bell before passing a horse-drawn vehicle.