Bard was the California delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention , and later served as the director of the California state board of agriculture from 1886 to 1887 . In 1887 , Bard became a founding board member of Occidental College . He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill a vacancy in the term that began on March 4 , 1899 . He served from February 7 , 1900 to March 3 , 1905 . Bard was unsuccessful in his 1904 reelection bid . During his term Bard served as the chairman of the Committee of Fisheries ( for the Fifty-seventh Congress ) and served on the Committee on irrigation ( for the Fifty-eighth Congress ) . One of Thomas R. Bard 's notable achievements during his time in office was to appoint George S. Patton , later General Patton , to West Point
1884 Republican National Convention
1884 Republican National Convention
Thomas R. Bard