Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
As a member of the Republican Party, Roosevelt had served as President from 1901 to 1909, becoming increasingly progressive in the later years of his presidency. In the 1908 presidential election, Roosevelt helped ensure that he would be succeeded by Secretary of War Taft. After Taft took office, he hewed closer to the conservative wing of the party and this and other actions alienated Roosevelt from his former friend. Progressive Republican leader Robert La Follette had already announced a challenge to Taft for the 1912 Republican nomination, but many of his supporters shifted to Roosevelt after the former President decided to seek a third presidential term, which was permissible under the Constitution prior to the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment. At the 1912 Republican National Convention, Taft narrowly defeated Roosevelt for the party's presidential nomination. After the convention, Roosevelt, Frank Munsey, George Walbridge Perkins and other progressive Republicans established the Progressive Party and nominated a ticket of Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson of California at the 1912 Progressive National Convention. The new party attracted several Republican officeholders, although nearly all of them remained loyal to the Republican Party—in California, Johnson and the Progressives took control of the Republican Party.
Hiram C. Bull
Born in Laona, Chautauqua County, New York, he went to school in Fredonia, New York. Bull studied in law in Fredonia, New York and was admitted to the New York bar in 1843. He move to Johnstown, Pennsylvania and continued to practiced law. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and practiced law. He lived briefly in California. Bull then opened lumberyards in Milwaukee Janesville, and Madison, Wisconsin. Bull served in the second Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1847-1848. He then served in the Wisconsin State Senate, from Madison, Wisconsin, in 1857 and 1858 and was a Republican. He served as adjutant-general of Wisconsin. Bull also was involved with the Wisconsin Historical Society. In 1859, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri and then to Arizona Territory and New Mexico Territory. He served in the 9th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. After the civil war, Bull opened a lumberyard in Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1870, he helped found a town Bull City, Kansas in Osborne County, Kansas. In 1872, Bull served as probate judge for Osborne County. From 1877 until his death in 1879, Bull served in the Kansas House of Representatives and was a Republican. On October 12, 1879, Bull was gored to death by an elk at his home in Bull City.