Harry Bartow Hawes (November 15, 1869 – July 31, 1947) was an American lawyer, conservationist, and politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House and Senate from Missouri. He is best known for the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act, the first U.S. law granting independence to the Philippines, and for earlier work assisting the Republic of Hawaii become a U.S. territory. Early life Harry B. Hawes was born in Covington, Kentucky, to Smith Nicholas and Susan Elizabeth (Simrall) Hawes. His grandfather was Richard Hawes, U.S. Congressman and second Confederate Governor of Kentucky. The Hawes family was active in politics dating back to America's earliest days. Besides Harry's grandfather, his grand-uncles Aylett Hawes and Albert Gallatin Hawes as well as cousin Aylett Hawes Buckner were well-known political figures of the 19th century. After receiving his basic education in Kentucky, Hawes moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1887. An old friend and Army comrade of his fathers soon found Hawes a position with the Third National Bank of St. Louis, where he worked while also pursuing higher education in his free time. He graduated from Washington University School of Law in 1896 and began a law practice under former Missouri Lieutenant Governor Charles P. Johnson, focusing mostly on corporate and international law. This led Hawes to become involved in the issue of American annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. He served as a delegate to the Trans-Mississippi Congress, a convention held in Salt Lake City, Utah, to discuss matters of statehood for existing U.S. territories and annexation of new lands. At the convention he became acquainted with Lorrin A. Thurston, one of the leaders of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 and establishment of the Republic of Hawaii. A non-binding resolution in support of making Hawaii a U.S. territory was passed in no small part due to Hawes outspoken debate in favor. As a reward of sorts Thurston and the Republic of Hawaii offered Harry Hawes a diplomatic position and made him legal consul to guide their lobbying efforts, a position he held until Hawaii officially became a territory in 1898. His Hawaiian goals achieved, Hawes returned to St. Louis, where on November 13, 1899, he married Eppes Osborne Robinson, whose own family's political pedigree traced back in Virginia to pre-Revolutionary War days. Hawes also formed a new law practice, Johnson, Houts, Marlatt, & Hawes, with three other young up