Senator Kirtland Irving Perky

Kirtland Irving Perky (February 8, 1867 – January 9, 1939) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who served as a United States senator from Idaho from 1912 to 1913. Over the course of a varied legal and political career in the American West, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in office and represented the interests of Idaho constituents during a significant period in the nation’s history.

Perky was born in Smithville, Wayne County, Ohio, on February 8, 1867. He was educated in the local public schools before pursuing higher education in his home state. He attended Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, where he completed his studies and graduated in 1888. Seeking a professional career in the law, he went on to study at the University of Iowa College of Law in Iowa City, Iowa. After completing his legal studies, he was admitted to the bar in 1890.

Following his admission to the bar, Perky commenced the practice of law in Wahoo, Saunders County, Nebraska. He practiced there for several years as a young attorney, gaining experience in the legal profession during a period of rapid growth and development in the Great Plains. In 1894, at the age of twenty-seven, he moved farther west to Albion, Idaho, reflecting the broader migration and settlement patterns of the era and positioning himself within the emerging legal and political structures of the state.

Perky’s judicial career began in Idaho, where he rose to prominence in the state’s legal community. In 1901 he was appointed or elected district judge of the fourth judicial district of Idaho, a position that placed him at the center of important civil and criminal matters in a rapidly developing region. After his service on the bench, he moved to Boise, the state capital, where he continued the practice of law. His work in Boise further solidified his standing as a leading attorney and Democratic figure in Idaho.

Perky’s brief but notable service in the United States Senate came about under unusual circumstances. Following the death of U.S. Senator Weldon B. Heyburn in 1912, Idaho Governor James H. Hawley appointed Perky to fill the resulting vacancy. A member of the Democratic Party, he took his seat in the Senate on November 18, 1912. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as the nation confronted issues of progressive reform, economic regulation, and political change. Perky participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the Senate while representing Idaho’s interests. His tenure was short, however; he served less than three months, until February 5, 1913, when James H. Brady was elected as his successor.

After leaving the Senate, Perky resumed the practice of law in Boise, returning to the private sector while maintaining his involvement in public affairs through his legal work and party connections. In 1923 he relocated to California, where he continued his legal career in Los Angeles. There he practiced law for the remainder of his professional life, becoming part of the legal community of one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States during the early twentieth century.

Kirtland Irving Perky died at age seventy-one on January 9, 1939, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California. He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California. His career spanned several states and roles—attorney, district judge, and United States senator—and reflected the broader development of the American West and the Democratic Party during his lifetime.