Joseph R. Lane

Who was Joseph R. Lane?

Joseph Reed Lane was an attorney and a one-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd congressional district at the close of the 19th century.

Lane was born in Davenport, Iowa, as the son of local attorney James T. Lane and his wife Annie. He attended the public schools in Davenport. He was graduated from Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, in 1878 and from the University of Iowa College of Law at Iowa City, Iowa in 1880. He was admitted to the bar in the latter year and commenced practice in Davenport with his father's law firm, the predecessor to the Lane & Waterman firm. He served as a regent of the University of Iowa, and was a member of the Davenport City Council from 1884 to 1889.

In 1898, incumbent Republican Congressman George M. Curtis refused to run for a third term as representative of Iowa's 2nd congressional district, and no clear replacement as Republican nominee emerged prior to the party's district nominating convention. At that convention, Lane became a candidate and was chosen by acclamation. After defeating John J. Ney in the general election, Lane served in the Fifty-sixth Congress.