Richard J. Welch

File:Richard J. Welch 1911.png portrait, 1903]]

Born in Monroe County, New York, Welch was educated in the public schools. He moved to California in early boyhood and settled in San Francisco. He worked on a farm in Freeport, and then was apprenticed as an ironworker, which led to his becoming trained as a machinist. He later served as clerk of the San Francisco County Superior Court.

Welch became active in politics as a Republican, including serving as treasurer of his local Republican Club, helping organize campaign events for the ticket of William McKinley and Garret A. Hobart during the 1896 presidential campaign, and organizing San Francisco's Dewey Republican Club in 1898. He served in the California Senate from 1901 to 1913.

Welch was the harbormaster for the port of San Francisco from 1903 to 1907. He served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1916 until September 30, 1926, when he resigned, having been elected to Congress.

Welch was elected to the Sixty-ninth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lawrence J. Flaherty. He was re-elected to the Seventieth and to the eleven succeeding Congresses and served from August 31, 1926, until his death in a hospital in Needles, California, September 10, 1949. He was succeeded by John F. Shelley and was the last Republican to hold this seat.

During his tenure, Welch served as chairman of the Committee on Labor (Seventy-first Congress), and the Committee on Public Lands (Eightieth Congress). He introduced legislation to exclude Filipinos from immigrating to the United States.{{cite journal |last1=Dodge |first1=Charles L. |title=Order Native Sons Golden West engaged in worthwhile undertakings |journal=Grizzly Bear |date=May 1930 |page=3 |url=https://archive.org/details/grizzlybe461929471930nati/page/n292/mode/1up |access-date=16 April 2025}}

He was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California.

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)

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• {{cite book |date=1950 |title=Richard Joseph Welch, Late a Representative from California |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015070234284;view=1up;seq=7 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=US Government Printing Office}}
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• {{Find a Grave|7122477}}
• [http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/5431 Join California Richard J. Welch]

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| state=California

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| before=Lawrence J. Flaherty

| after=John F. Shelley

| years=August 31, 1926 – September 10, 1949}}

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Category:1869 births

Category:1949 deaths

Category:Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California)

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California

Category:Republican Party California state senators

Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives