Frank Bosworth Brandegee (July 8, 1864October 14, 1924) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and senator from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

Early life

Frank Brandegee was born in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...

, on July 8, 1864. He was the son of Augustus Brandegee, who also served in the United States House. He graduated from New London's Bulkeley High School in 1881. He completed his degree at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1885, where he was a member of

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1888 and practiced in New London. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, 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. He returned to the Connecticut House in 1899 and served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

. He served again as New London's Corporation Counsel from 1901 to 1902 when he resigned because he had been elected to Congress.

U.S. House

Brandegee was elected as a

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. Brandegee was a delegate to several state and national Republican conventions, and was chairman of the

Connecticut Republican Party The Connecticut Republican Party is the Connecticut affiliate of the national Republican Party. Republicans control neither chamber of the state legislature, no constitutional state offices, none of the state's five seats in the U.S. House, and n ...

's 1904 state convention.

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. He was reelected in 1908, 1914, and 1920, and served from May 10, 1905, until his death. A staunch "Old Guard" conservative, Brandegee opposed women's suffrage and America's participation in the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

. In 1920 Brandegee was also one of the chief promoters of Warren G. Harding for

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

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

Death and burial

Brandegee never married and had no children. He committed suicide in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

on October 14, 1924, inhaling fumes from a

gas light ''Gas Light'' is a 1938 thriller play, set in the Victorian era, written by the British novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton. Hamilton's play is a dark tale of a marriage based on deceit and trickery, and a husband committed to driving h ...

in a seldom used bathroom on the third floor of his home. According to published accounts, he was in ill health and had lost most of his fortune through bad investments. Press reports at the time indicated that he left his chauffeur a suicide note and $100, with another $100 for two other household servants. He was interred at Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London.Thomas E. Spencer
''Where They're Buried''
1998, page 117

References

External links