Current Project

Mark Hanna

Mark Hanna (1837-1904) managed William McKinley’s 1896 presidential campaign. Hanna pioneered the modern electoral contests through his use of fund-raising, publicity, and a focused message.

Democratic opponents retaliated with unflattering cartoons by Homer Davenport and others. Hanna’s reputation in modern times was influenced by these negative images.

Hanna is also remembered for the cynical comment, “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember the second.”

The last full length biography of Hanna was published in 1929. Kristie Miller and Robert H. McGinnis will take a fresh look at Hanna’s life, examining his relations with Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, his career as a powerful senator, his work with labor leaders like Samuel Gompers, and his outreach to African Americans.

To read “Mark Hanna’s 1898 Senate Bribery Scandal,” an article by Miller and McGinnis, visit markhanna.org