Frank B. Brandegee

Frank Bosworth Brandegee
United States Senator from Connecticut
In office May 10, 1905 – October 14, 1924
Preceded by	Orville H. Platt
Succeeded by	Hiram Bingham III
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 3rd district
In office November 4, 1902 – May 10, 1905
Preceded by	Charles A. Russell
Succeeded by	Edwin W. Higgins
Personal details
Born	(1864-07-08)July 8, 1864 New London, Connecticut
Died	October 14, 1924(1924-10-14) (aged 60) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Republican

Frank Bosworth Brandegee (July 8, 1864 – October 14, 1924) was a United States Representative and Senator from Connecticut.

Early life

Frank Brandegee was born in New London, Connecticut July 8, 1864. He was the son of Augustus Brandegee, who also served in the United States House.^[1]

He graduated New London's Bulkeley High School in 1881. He completed his degree at Yale College in 1885, where he was a member of Skull and Bones.^[2]:1369 He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1888 and practiced in New London.^[3]

A Republican, in 1888 Brandegee served in the Connecticut House of Representatives, and was New London's Corporation Counsel from 1889 to 1893 and 1894 to 1897.^[4]

He returned to the Connecticut House in 1899, and served as Speaker. He served again as New London's Corporation Counsel from 1901 to 1902, when he resigned because he had been elected to Congress.^[5]

U.S. House

Brandegee was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles A. Russell. He was reelected to the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses and served from November 4, 1902, until May 10, 1905, when he resigned.^[6]

Brandegee was a delegate to several state and national Republican conventions, and was chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party's 1904 state convention.^[7][8][9]

U.S. Senate

Brandegee resigned from the House to accept election to the U.S. Senate, filling the vacancy caused by the death of Orville H. Platt.^[10]

He was reelected in 1908, 1914, and 1920, and served from May 10, 1905 until his death.^[11]

A staunch "Old Guard" conservative, Brandegee opposed women's suffrage, America's participation in the League of Nations, and most other measures of the time that were considered liberal or progressive.^[12][13][14] In 1920 Brandegee was also one of the chief promoters of Warren G. Harding for President.^[15][16]

In the Senate he was Chairman of the following committees: Interoceanic Canals (Sixty-second Congress); Panama (Sixty-second Congress); Pacific Railroads (Sixty-third through Sixty-fifth Congresses); Library (Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh Congresses); and Judiciary (Sixty-eighth Congress).^[17]

Brandegee was President pro tempore during several sessions of the Senate in the Sixty-second Congress (1911 to 1913).^[18]

Death and burial

Brandegee never married and had no children.^[19]

He committed suicide in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 1924, inhaling fumes from a gas light in a seldom used bathroom on the third floor of his home.^[20] According to published accounts, he was in ill health and had lost most of his fortune through bad investments.^[21] Press reports at the time indicated that he left his chauffeur a suicide note and $100, with another $100 for two other household servants.^[22][23]

He was interred at Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London.^[24]

References

1. ^ Yale University, Class of 1885, Quarter-Centenary Record of the Class of 1885, Yale University, 1913, page 119
2. ^ "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University Deceased during the Year 1924-1925" (PDF). Yale University. 1925. Retrieved March 24, 2011. 
3. ^ Norris Galpin Osborn, Men of Mark in Connecticut, Volume 1, 1906, pages 54-57
4. ^ United States Senate Historical Office, Pro Tem: Presidents Pro Tempore of the United States Senate Since 1789, 2008, page 84
5. ^ Samuel Hart, editor, Encyclopedia of Connecticut Biography, Volume 4, 1917, page 277
6. ^ Caryn Hannan, editor, Connecticut Biographical Dictionary, 2008, page 160
7. ^ John Tweedy, A History of the Republican National Conventions from 1856 to 1908, 1910, page 265
8. ^ William Harrison Taylor, Taylor's Legislative History and Souvenir of Connecticut, 1897, Volume 4, page 206
9. ^ New York Times, Connecticut Convention, May 11, 1904
10. ^ Connecticut General Assembly, Journal of the Senate of the State of Connecticut, 1905, page 933
11. ^ Charles F. Ritter, Jon L. Wakelyn, American Legislative Leaders, 1850-1910, 1989, page 72
12. ^ Carole Nichols, Votes and More for Women: Suffrage and After in Connecticut, 2013, page 39
13. ^ Cecelia Bucki, Bridgeport's Socialist New Deal, 1915-36, 2001, page 215
14. ^ Ruth O'Brien, Workers' Paradox: The Republican Origins of New Deal Labor Policy, 1886-1935, 1998, page 227
15. ^ Stephen Graubard, The Presidents: The Transformation of the American Presidency from Theodore Roosevelt to Barack Obama, 2009
16. ^ Laton McCartney, The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country, 2009, page 24
17. ^ Lawrence P. Ardis, Party leaders in Congress, 1789-2002, 2002, page 45
18. ^ Robert C. Byrd, Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992, Volume 4, 1993, page 652
19. ^ United Press, The Southeast Missourian, Senator Brandegee Found Dead at Home, October 14, 1924
20. ^ Pine Plains Register, Brandegee Dead by Gas, October 15, 1924
21. ^ Time Magazine, Political Notes: De Mortuis, January 4, 1926
22. ^ Bridgeport Telegram, Brandegee's Death Blamed on Isolation and Financial Loss, October 15, 1924
23. ^ St. Petersburg Evening Independent, Financial Losses Cause Senator to Turn on Gas, October 15, 1924
24. ^ Thomas E. Spencer, Where They're Buried, 1998, page 117

External links

• Frank B. Brandegee at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Frank B. Brandegee at Find a Grave
• Frank Brandegee at The Political Graveyard
• U.S. Government Printing Office, Frank B. Brandegee: Memorial Addresses Delivered in the Senate and House of Representatives, 1925

United States Senators from Connecticut Class 1 Ellsworth Hillhouse Dana Boardman Edwards Foot N. Smith Niles Betts Huntington R.S. Baldwin Toucey Dixon Buckingham Eaton Hawley Bulkeley McLean Walcott Maloney Hart R.E. Baldwin Benton Purtell T. Dodd Weicker Lieberman Murphy Class 3 Johnson Sherman Mitchell Trumbull Tracy Goodrich Daggett Lanman Willey Tomlinson P. Smith Niles T. Smith Gillette Foster Ferry English Barnum Platt Brandegee Bingham Lonergan Danaher McMahon Purtell Bush Ribicoff C. Dodd Blumenthal

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