Frederick H. Gillett
Frederick H. Gillett | |
---|---|
Leader of the House Republican Conference | |
In office May 19, 1919 – March 3, 1925 | |
Preceded by | James Robert Mann |
Succeeded by | Nicholas Longworth |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd district | |
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1925 | |
Preceded by | Elijah A. Morse |
Succeeded by | George B. Churchill |
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
In office 1890–1891 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Frederick Huntington Gillett October 16, 1851 LLB) |
Profession | Lawyer |
Frederick Huntington Gillett (
Early life and education
Frederick H. Gillett was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, to Edward Bates Gillett (1817–1899) and Lucy Fowler Gillett (1830–1916). He graduated from Amherst College, where he was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, in 1874 and Harvard Law School in 1877. He entered the practice of law in Springfield in 1877.[1]
Career
Gillett was the Assistant
A
Republicans gained a net total of 24 seats in the 1918 elections, increasing the size of their majority in the House. Gillett was nominated by the Republican caucus for Speaker of the House in the upcoming 66th United States Congress.[5] On May 19, 1919, Congress convened, and he was elected speaker, defeating the Democratic incumbent Champ Clark 228–172.[6] Gillett was expected to exercise less control than his predecessor, since he was characterized by one reporter as someone who did not drink coffee in the morning "for fear it would keep him awake all day".[7] He was reelected as speaker in 1921 and again in 1923.
In 1923, votes cast by the
Gillett decided to run for the United States Senate in 1924. He won the Republican primary easily over two other candidates[12] and then narrowly defeated incumbent Senator David I. Walsh in the Republican landslide of November 1924 led by President Calvin Coolidge, a former governor of Massachusetts.[13] He was at the time the oldest person ever elected to a first term in the Senate, a record that would stand for 98 years.[14] Time magazine chose him for its November 17, 1924 cover.[15] He served one term in the Senate from 1925 to 1931, and decided not to seek re-election in the face of a difficult primary challenge.[16] In June 1930, he declined to state his position on prohibition or its repeal when queried by prohibition advocates.[17]
Personal life
On November 25, 1915, Gillett married Christine Rice Hoar, the widow of his former colleague in Congress,
During his time in Washington, Gillett spent his free time driving his 1926 Pontiac Coupe and playing golf in the morning. In retirement, he wintered in Pasadena, California. He died in a hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1935. Gillett was buried at Pine Hill Cemetery in Westfield.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Bioguide Search". bioguide.congress.gov.
- ^ "Gillett Dies at 83; A Former Senator" (PDF). The New York Times. July 31, 1935. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. November 9, 1903. p. 48. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ISBN 9780815320791.
- ^ "Gillett Chosen for Speakership of Next House" (PDF). The New York Times. February 28, 1919. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (May 19, 2010). "GOP assumes control of Congress, May 19, 1919". Politico. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ISBN 9780313298172.
- ^ Heitshusen, Valerie; Beth, Richard S. (January 4, 2019). "Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913–2019" (PDF). CRS Report (RL30857). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ "Speaker Elections Decided by Multiple Ballots". US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ Andersen, Travis (January 3, 2023). "The last time a House speaker vote went to multiple ballots? It was 100 years ago, for Mass. Republican". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 3, 2023 – via MSN.
- ^ "Kevin McCarthy elected House Speaker, breaking historic deadlock". Washington Post. January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Gillett is Victor in Senate Contest; Couzens is Trailing" (PDF). The New York Times. September 10, 1924. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Republicans Make Gains in Congress" (PDF). The New York Times. November 5, 1924. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ Fedor, Lauren (January 2, 2023). "First-time senators take their seats as Democrats maintain slim majority". Financial Times. London. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Frederick Gillett". Time. November 17, 1924. Archived from the original on November 6, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Observations from Times Watch-Towers" (PDF). The New York Times. September 8, 1929. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Women Taking Poll Say Many Senators Didge the Dry Issue" (PDF). The New York Times. June 9, 1930. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Gillett-Hoar Wedding" (PDF). The New York Times. November 26, 1915. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ "Senator Hoar" (PDF). The New York Times. December 16, 1934. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
External links
- Gillett Family Papers at the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
- United States Congress. "Frederick H. Gillett (id: G000201)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Rockwood Hoar Papers Archived 2007-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Westfield Athenaeum Archives