Representative Marshall Van Winkle

Marshall Van Winkle (September 28, 1869 – May 10, 1957) was a U.S. Representative from New Jersey and a member of the Republican Party, noted for his single term in Congress and his long legal career in Hudson County. He was the grandnephew of Peter G. Van Winkle, who had served as a United States Senator from West Virginia during the Reconstruction era, linking him to a family tradition of public service.

Van Winkle was born on September 28, 1869, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended the public schools of Jersey City, receiving the basic education that prepared him for professional study. After completing his schooling, he pursued the study of law, a field that would define his career in both public and private capacities.

He was admitted to the bar in 1890 and commenced the practice of law in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early in his legal career, Van Winkle entered public service when he was appointed counsel to the county tax board in 1895. He held this position for several years, gaining experience in local government and taxation matters. He resigned from this post to accept an appointment as assistant prosecutor of the pleas of Hudson County, New Jersey, a role that placed him at the center of the county’s criminal justice system and enhanced his public profile.

Van Winkle first sought national office as an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Fifty-seventh Congress in 1900. He continued to serve as assistant prosecutor of the pleas from 1902 to 1905, when he resigned in order to become a candidate for Congress once again. In the 1904 elections he was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-ninth Congress, representing New Jersey and serving from March 4, 1905, to March 3, 1907. As a member of the Republican Party representing New Jersey, he contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history marked by progressive-era reforms and growing federal involvement in economic and social issues. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1906, thereby concluding his congressional service after a single term.

Following his departure from Congress, Van Winkle resumed the practice of law in Jersey City, New Jersey. He continued to build his reputation as a lawyer and legal scholar, and over the course of his later career he wrote and published law reference books, contributing to the professional literature available to practitioners and the courts. His expertise and standing in the legal community led to his appointment as an advisory master in chancery in the matrimonial division, a position he held from 1933 to 1939. In this judicial capacity he handled complex matrimonial and equity matters, reflecting the trust placed in his judgment and legal knowledge.

Marshall Van Winkle spent his final years in New Jersey. He died in Oceanport, New Jersey, on May 10, 1957. He was interred in Fairview Mausoleum in Fairview, New Jersey, closing a life marked by sustained engagement in the law, public service at the county and federal levels, and a family legacy of participation in American political life.