Knox, Philander C. (1853–1921)
KNOX, PHILANDER C. (1853–1921)
Although Philander Chase Knox, a Pittsburgh corporation lawyer, had helped create the United States Steel Corporation, he became an active antitrust prosecutor as theodore roosevelt ' s attorney general (1901–1904). Knox initiated the efficient and meticulous prosecution in northern securities co. v. united states (1904) and successfully argued that case before the Supreme Court. He also began victorious cases against the Salt Trust, the Coal Trust, and the Beef Trust, the latter culminating in the stream of commerce doctrine in swift & company v. united states (1905). Knox's actions helped revive the sherman antitrust act and insured a prominent political career after his resignation in 1904. He served as william howard taft's secretary of state (1909–1913) and later, in the Senate, played a major role in railroad rate legislation. An "irreconcilable" over the League of Nations, Knox believed it imposed unconstitutional obligations under the treaty power.
David Gordon
(1986)