Senator Samuel Williams Reynolds

Samuel Williams Reynolds (August 11, 1890 – March 20, 1988) was a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska who served briefly in the United States Congress from 1954 to 1955. Over the course of a long career in business, military service, and public office, he was active in both local and national affairs and represented the interests of his Nebraska constituents during a significant period in American history.

Reynolds was born in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, on August 11, 1890. He was educated in the local schools of Omaha and entered the workforce at a young age. By 1908 he had engaged in the Omaha wholesale coal business, beginning what became his primary private-sector occupation. His early involvement in commerce in Omaha established him as a figure in the city’s business community and provided the foundation for his later public and political activities.

During World War I, Reynolds served in the United States Army Air Service, contributing to the nation’s military efforts during the conflict. He maintained an association with military affairs in the years that followed. Rising in rank over time, he later became a colonel and, during World War II, served as director of the Army Specialist Corps in Omaha from 1942 to 1943. In that capacity he oversaw specialized personnel and resources in support of the war effort, reflecting both his organizational experience and his continued commitment to national service.

Reynolds’s involvement in politics developed alongside his business and military careers. A member of the Republican Party, he became active in party affairs and served as a delegate to the 1936 Republican National Convention, participating in the selection of the party’s national ticket and platform. His Republican affiliation and standing in Nebraska political circles eventually led to his selection for higher office.

On July 3, 1954, Nebraska Governor Robert B. Crosby appointed Reynolds to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Hugh A. Butler. As a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska, he served from 1954 to 1955, completing the unexpired term. During his one term in office, Reynolds contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic deliberations of the Senate, and represented the interests of his Nebraska constituents during a significant period in American history. He chose not to be a candidate for election to the seat in his own right in 1954, declined to run for the office that year, and instead prepared to return to private life at the conclusion of his service.

After leaving the Senate in 1955, Reynolds resumed his work in the wholesale coal business in Omaha, returning to the commercial pursuits that had long defined his professional life. He remained engaged in public affairs at the local level and subsequently served as a member of the Omaha City Council from 1957 to 1958. In that role he participated in municipal governance and local policymaking, extending his record of public service beyond the federal level and contributing to the civic life of his native city.

Reynolds continued to reside in Omaha in his later years. He lived there until his death on March 20, 1988. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Omaha, Nebraska, closing a life that spanned nearly a century and encompassed business leadership, military service in two world wars, participation in national party politics, a brief tenure in the United States Senate, and service in local government.