Choice B. Randell

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =Choice Boswell Randell

| image=Choice B. Randell.jpg

| office = Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas

| constituency = {{ushr|TX|5|C}} (1901–1903)
{{ushr|TX|4|C}} (1903–1913)

| term_start=March 4, 1901

| term_end=March 3, 1913

| predecessor = Joseph W. Bailey

| successor = Sam Rayburn

| title1 = Grayson County Attorney

| term_start1 = 1882

| term_end1 = 1888

| predecessor1=

| successor1 =

| title4 = Denison City Attorney

| term_start4 = 1882

| term_end4 = 1882

| birth_date = {{birth date|1857|01|01|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Murray County, Georgia, US

| death_date = {{death date and age|1945|10|19|1857|01|01|mf=y}}

| death_place = Sherman, Texas, US

| party = Democrat

| spouse=Anna Marschalk

| children=Andrew

| profession=Lawyer

| allegiance=Texas State Militia

| unit=Fourth Texas Regiment

}}

Choice Boswell Randell (January 1, 1857 – October 19, 1945) was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a U.S. Representative from Texas from 1901 to 1913.

He was the nephew of Lucius Jeremiah Gartrell.

Biography

Charles Boswell Randell was born to James L. and Louisa Amantha (Gartrell) Randell in Murray County, Georgia.{{cite book |last=Guttery|first=Ben|title=Representing Texas: a Comprehensive History of U.S. and Confederate Senators and Representatives from Texas |year=2008 |publisher=BookSurge Publishing|isbn=978-1-4196-7884-4|page=125}}

He attended public and private schools and the North Georgia Agricultural College at Dahlonega, Georgia, but did not graduate. Instead, he changed his course of study to law and was admitted to the Georgia State Bar in 1878.{{Handbook of Texas | name=Choice B Randell|author=Hart, Brian |id=fra32| retrieved=16 July 2010}} Texas State Historical Association Randell commenced his law practice in Denison, Texas, in January 1879. He moved to Sherman, Texas, in 1882 and continued the practice of law.

Public service

Randell was elected as a Democrat to the fifty-seventh and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1913). He did not support women's suffrage and expressed in a letter to women's suffragette leader Ermina Thompson Folsom that his concern was race-based.{{cite web |url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/suffrage/comesofage/randell-folsom.html |title=C.B. Randell to Erminia Thompson Folsom, November 25, 1910 |author=Erminia Thompson Folsom Papers |publisher=Texas State Library and Archives Commission |access-date=17 July 2010}} Randell was the author of the Anti-Graft Resolutions to prevent members of the United States Congress from receiving gifts or fees from anyone with business before Congress.{{cite book |title=The Austin-Boston Connection: Five Decades of House Democratic Leadership, 1937–1989 |last1=Champagne |first1=Anthony |last2=Harris | first2=Dr. Douglas B| last3=Riddlesperger Jr | first3=James W | last4=Nelson | first4=Dr. Garrison |year=2009 |publisher=TAMU |isbn=978-1-60344-120-9 |page=36 }}

With pending reapportionment of his congressional district, Randell chose to make a bid for the United States Senate in 1912, rather than run for re-election as a member of the United States House of Representatives. Randell was unsuccessful in his Senate bid, and Sam Rayburn succeeded him in the U.S. House.

After his career in public service ended, Randell resumed the practice of law.

Death

He died in Sherman, Texas, October 19, 1945.

Fraternal memberships

Randell had membership{{cite news |last=Kestenbaum|first=Lawrence |title=Choice B Randell-The Political Graveyard|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/randall-randlett.html#R9M0JABPX|access-date=16 July 2010|newspaper=The Political Graveyard}} in the following organizations: