He was the son of a German immigrant and held many political offices including being elected to the United States House of Representatives for four terms in the mid-20th century.

[1][2] After his undergraduate education he taught and coached for Lake Geneva High School from 1902 to 1905 and Northern Illinois University from 1905 to 1906.

[1][2] He served as the head football coach at Northern Illinois University in 1905, compiling a record of 3–1–1.

[1][3] Sauthoff was also the head basketball coach at Northern Illinois for one season in 1905–06.

[1] He was defeated in the 1944 election for the United States Senate,[1] receiving 5.8 percent of the vote as a third-party candidate.