Fred Herman Hildebrandt (August 2, 1874 – January 26, 1956) was a member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

, serving three consecutive terms. He worked for the railroad for nearly three decades and was appointed as head of the South Dakota Game and Fish Commission, serving from 1927 to 1931.

Early life and education

Hildebrandt was born in

West Bend, Wisconsin West Bend is the county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington County, Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752. History Early history and settlement Northeastern Washington County's earliest known inhabitants wer ...

in 1874. He moved with his parents to

Waupun, Wisconsin Waupun is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du Lac County. In Fond du Lac County, the Town of Waupun ...

, where he attended the public and high schools.

Career

He later moved to

Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center which houses many of the original art works produced by Terry Redlin, one of America's most popular wildlife ...

in 1900. He started working for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad and made that his career, from 1903 to 1932.

Political career

He was elected to the

South Dakota House of Representatives The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided into ...

, serving from 1922 to 1923. He was appointed as head of the South Dakota Game and Fish Commission, serving from 1927 to 1931. In 1932, Hildebrandt was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

; he was elected to two more terms, serving through 1938. In 1938, he ran unsuccessfully for the position of

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, but lost to former Governor

Tom Berry Thomas Berry (1914–2009) was a Catholic priest of the Passionist order, cultural historian and ecotheologian. Thomas Berry may also refer to: * Tom Berry (baseball) (1842–1915), baseball player of the 1870s for the Philadelphia Athletics * Tom ...

in the Democratic primary. After his defeat, Hildebrandt retired from public life and resided in Watertown. He died in Bradenton, Florida in 1956, and was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Watertown.

Sources

1874 births 1956 deaths People from West Bend, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota Democratic Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives People from Watertown, South Dakota Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota {{SouthDakota-politician-stub