William Kettner was an American Democratic politician from San Diego, California.
18 Facts About William Kettner
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William Kettner served four terms in Congress from 1913 through 1921 and is credited with bringing many US Navy facilities to San Diego.
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William Kettner's parents moved to St Paul, Minnesota, in 1873.
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William Kettner's father died when he was 13, so he had to leave school to work, first as a bell boy, then he drove a dray horse.
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William Kettner came to San Diego when he was 21, in the middle of an economic boom in the late 1880s, and worked various odd jobs around the state.
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William Kettner set up an insurance business, and later became involved with real estate and banking.
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William Kettner was inspired by the visit and volunteered to organize the city's reception festivities for the fleet.
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William Kettner then became a member of the board of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, and served as its director.
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William Kettner was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1912.
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William Kettner was re-elected in 1914 by 24,000 votes; in 1916 by 9,000 votes; and in 1918 when he ran unopposed.
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William Kettner stepped down as congressman in 1920 due to poor health and a financial downturn with his insurance business.
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William Kettner's first accomplishment, achieved by lobbying even before he was sworn in as a member of Congress, was a federal appropriation to dredge San Diego Bay to allow large ships to enter.
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William Kettner continued to promote San Diego and Southern California interests throughout his tenure.
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William Kettner won friends easily with his warm personality and addressed colleagues as "brother", earning him the nickname of "Brother Bill" in San Diego and Washington DC He courted many congressmen and officials, lobbying them over dinner and gifting them with California produce such as oranges and wine.
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William Kettner became friends with Franklin D Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
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William Kettner helped Kettner's efforts to establish bases in San Diego as assistant naval secretary and later as the president of the United States.
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William Kettner was nicknamed the "Million Dollar Congressman" for his ability to gain naval bases in San Diego.
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William Kettner died in San Diego in 1930 and is buried at Greenwood Memorial Park, beside his mother, who died in 1912.