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William T. Pheiffer

American politician (1898-1986)

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJul 18, 2026
Entity authorityQ8019112
Source-derived summary

William Townsend Pheiffer (July 15, 1898 – August 16, 1986) was an American lawyer, Republican politician and diplomat. He was a representative from New York in the 77th Congress and ambassador to the Dominican Republic.

Biography

He was born in Purcell, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), the son of William Pfeiffer (b. 1869) and Susan Garfinkel (b. 1869). His brother was Harry R. Pfeiffer (b. 1896). His father was a lawyer. His maternal uncle was Julius Garfinckel, wealthy merchant. He attended the public schools of Purcell, Ardmore and Oklahoma City, and the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “William T. Pheiffer” as american politician (1898-1986). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around William, Pheiffer and American.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1898, 1986, 1869, 1896—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1898-07-15. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with William, Pheiffer and American providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “William T. Pheiffer”, the useful work is to connect “american politician (1898-1986)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q8019112. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1898, 1986, 1869 and 1896.

Critical limits

A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “William T. Pheiffer”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow William T. Pheiffer primary sources, William T. Pheiffer archive and William research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “William T. Pheiffer”?
  2. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
  3. How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from William T. Pheiffer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.