Paul Cunningham

Paul Harvey Cunningham (June 15, 1890 – July 16, 1961) served nine consecutive terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa. First elected in 1940, he was re-elected eight times, and defeated in 1958.

Born on a farm in Indiana County, Pennsylvania near Kent, Cunningham attended the public schools. He graduated from State Teachers College, Indiana, Pennsylvania, in 1911, from the literary department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1914, and from its Law School in 1915. He was admitted to the bar in 1915 and commenced practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

During the First World War, from 1917 to 1919, he served as a first lieutenant in the Infantry.

He moved to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1919 and continued the practice of law. He served as member of the Iowa National Guard from 1920 to 1923. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1933, and served until 1937.

On February 4, 1940, Congressman Cassius C. Dowell died, thereby creating a vacancy in Iowa's 6th congressional district. Cunningham fell four votes short of receiving the Republican Party's nomination as its candidate in the March 5, 1940 special election. Although Robert K. Goodwin received the nomination and won the special election, Cunningham received his party's nomination for the 1940 general election, where he defeated E. Frank Fox.

Iowa's districts were reapportioned before the next election to reflect the loss of one Iowa seat, placing Cunningham's home county (Polk) in Iowa's 5th congressional district. In 1942, and in the next eight elections, Cunningham was re-elected to Congress from that district.

In 1958, Cunningham faced a challenge from Neal Smith, then seeking his first term. Two weeks before the election, Cunningham was slightly favored to win, based on a split within the Polk County Democratic Party's organization. However, Smith defeated Cunningham, winning his first of eighteen terms. Cunningham's congressional service began January 3, 1941, and ended January 3, 1959. Cunningham voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

After his defeat, Cunningham resumed the practice of law. He died at his summer home on Gull Lake, Brainerd, Minnesota, on July 16, 1961. He was interred in Masonic Cemetery, Des Moines, Iowa.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 15, 1890 (Indiana County), Died July 16, 1961 (Brainerd)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 54 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D7VB-1759 10-in. 10/17/1947 Give a broken heart a break Vaughn Monroe ; Moon Maids ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D9VB-0320 10-in. 1/18/1949 The bible on the table and the flag upon the wall Georgia Crackers [Newman Brothers] String band, with male vocal and recitation songwriter  
Columbia 39493 10-in. 7/10/1914 Baby love Billy Watkins Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78190 10-in. 12/2/1918 Have a smile (for everyone you meet and they will have a smile for you) Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78441 10-in. 5/21/1919 The gates of gladness Arthur Fields Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78521 10-in. 6/21/1919 If you don't stop making eyes at me Arthur Fields Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 80063 10-in. 11/12/1921 That's how I believe in you Edwin Dale Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 80271 10-in. 3/31/1922 All over nothing at all Nora Bayes Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 80752 10-in. 12/29/1922 Whispering pines Guido Deiro Piano accordion solo songwriter  
Columbia [W]150511 10-in. 4/30/1930 The Pony Express Mack Allen Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia 73088 10-in. approximately 1922 All over nothing at all Eric Randolph lyricist  
Columbia HCO3502 10-in. 12/31/1948 The Bible on the table (and the flag upon the wall) Gene Autry Male vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
Columbia RHCO4317 10-in. 11/3/1950 The Bible on the table (and the flag upon the wall) Little Jimmy Dickens Male vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
OKeh 323 10-in. ca. Aug. 1918 You're goin' to fall in love with California Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 456 10-in. ca. Nov. 1918 Have a smile Franklyn Kent Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 834 10-in. approximately June 1919 The gates of gladness (On the road to Sunshine Land) Harvey Hindermyer Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh S-7402 10-in. Apr. 1920 Tripoli Helen Clark ; Joseph A. Phillips Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 74167 10-in. May 1926 Let the end of the world come tomorrow (As long as you love me today) Charles Hart Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio lyricist  
OKeh [OK cat 1132-b] 10-in. approximately Sept. 1918 When the Robert E. Lee arrives in old Tennessee Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet composer  
Brunswick 6861 10-in. approximately Nov. 1921 That's how I believe in you James Craven Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick 8621-8623 10-in. approximately Aug. 1922 All over nothing at all Ernest Hare ; Billy Jones Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick E19686-E19688 10-in. 7/8/1926 Let the end of the world come tomorrow (As long as you love me today) Frank Munn Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick E19748-E19750 10-in. 7/13/1926 Let the end of the world come to-morrow (As long as you love me to-day) Frank Munn Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 6571 10-in. 1/17/1919 Have a smile for everyone you meet and they will have a smile for you Mabelle Wagner-Shank Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 6630 10-in. 2/20/1919 Have a smile for everyone you meet and they will have a smile for you Arthur Hall Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 26-50 of 54 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Cunningham, Paul," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111123.

Cunningham, Paul. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111123.

"Cunningham, Paul." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111123

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