movement of 1912 into Democratic supporters of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal in the 1930s. During the 1930s and early 1940s, Downey was one of California's most significant progressive politicians. While he was often overshadowed in state politics by Republican progressives like Hiram Johnson and Earl Warren, Downey left a significant mark because of his tireless advocacy of old-age pensions, organized labor, and racial justice. His conservative turn after his reelection in 1944, when he increasingly represented the interests of big business, large agribusiness concerns, and the oil industry, has obscured his historical reputation as a one-time liberal and progressive force in California politics. Works Onward America, 1933. Courage America, 1933. Why I Believe in the Townsend Plan, 1936. Pensions or Penury?, 1939. - An early book of New Deal advocacy. Highways to Prosperity, 1940. They Would Rule the Valley, 1947. - A book written to inform Californians about the Federal Government's efforts to impose undue economic restrictions on agriculture via the Reclamation Bureau. References External links Sheridan Downey at The Political Graveyard Guide to the Sheridan Downey Papers at The Bancroft Library 1884 births 1961 deaths California Democrats California lawyers California Progressives (1924) Politicians from Laramie, Wyoming People from San Francisco Richard Nixon Democratic Party United States senators from California University of Michigan Law School alumni Wyoming Progressives (1912) Wyoming lawyers Wyoming Republicans