Representative William Wallace McCredie

William Wallace “W. W.” McCredie (April 27, 1862 – May 10, 1935) was an American lawyer, jurist, baseball executive, and Republican politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Washington from 1909 to 1911. His single term in Congress came during a significant period in American history, and he participated in the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of his constituents in Washington State.

McCredie was born on April 27, 1862, in Montrose, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. During his childhood, he moved with his parents to Iowa, where the family settled on a farm near Manchester in Delaware County. He attended the common schools of the area and pursued higher education at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1885. His early years in the Midwest, marked by both farm life and formal schooling, provided the foundation for his later careers in education, law, and public service.

After completing college, McCredie began his professional life in education. From 1885 to 1889 he taught school in Parkersburg, Iowa, gaining experience in the classroom and establishing himself in the community. Seeking to advance his career, he enrolled in the law school of the University of Iowa, attending in 1889 and 1890. In 1890 he moved west to Portland, Oregon, where he completed his legal studies and was admitted to the bar that same year. He soon crossed the Columbia River to Vancouver, Washington, where he commenced the practice of law and began to build a reputation in the legal profession.

McCredie quickly entered public legal service in Washington State. He served as prosecuting attorney of Clark County, Washington, from 1894 to 1896, handling criminal prosecutions and representing the county in legal matters. His work as a prosecutor led to further advancement, and he was elected judge of the superior court at Vancouver, Washington, serving on the bench from 1904 to 1909. In this judicial role he presided over a wide range of civil and criminal cases at a time when the region was experiencing rapid growth and development, reinforcing his standing as a respected legal authority in southwestern Washington.

In addition to his legal and judicial career, McCredie became a prominent figure in professional baseball on the West Coast. In 1904 he became part owner of the Portland Beavers baseball club, a team in the Pacific Coast League, then regarded as a high-level minor league that regularly supplied players to the major leagues. He hired his nephew, Walt McCredie, as the team’s player‑manager and took an active role in the club’s operations. McCredie was instrumental in the organization and administration of the Pacific Coast League in its early years. After the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which severely affected several league cities and franchises, he used his own resources to help maintain the operation of other clubs and stabilize the league. He also invested heavily in improvements for the Portland Beavers, becoming the first owner in the league to build substantial grandstand seating for fans, thereby enhancing the spectator experience and contributing to the growth of professional baseball in the region.

McCredie entered national politics in 1909. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Sixty‑first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Francis W. Cushman. He took his seat as a U.S. Representative from Washington on November 2, 1909, and served until March 3, 1911. During his one term in office, he participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of his Washington constituents at a time of expanding federal activity in commerce, infrastructure, and conservation. In 1910 he sought renomination to the Sixty‑second Congress but was unsuccessful, bringing his brief congressional career to a close.

Following his service in Congress, McCredie returned to his business and professional pursuits. He resumed his active involvement with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, serving as president of the club until 1921. Under his leadership, the team remained a prominent fixture in West Coast baseball, and his earlier investments and organizational efforts continued to shape the league’s development. After stepping back from baseball operations in 1921, he focused on the practice of law in Portland, Oregon, where he maintained his legal career for the remainder of his life.

William Wallace McCredie died in Portland, Oregon, on May 10, 1935. He was interred in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. His life encompassed significant contributions to the legal and judicial systems of Washington State, the development of professional baseball in the Pacific Northwest, and a term of national legislative service as a Republican Representative from Washington during the early twentieth century.