Fred Nelson Cummings (September 18, 1864 – November 10, 1952) was an American farmer and rancher who served as a Democratic

U.S. 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 c ...

from

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

for four terms from 1933 to 1941.

Early life and education

Frederick Nelson Cummings was born on a farm near

Groveton, New Hampshire Groveton is a census-designated place (CDP) and the primary village in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2020 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 3 and Ne ...

on September 18, 1864, a son of George and Angeline Cummings. His father was a native of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and his mother had been born in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. His family moved to

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt C ...

in 1865. In 1879, they relocated again, this time to a farm near West Union, Nebraska. Cummings attended the local schools in Clinton and West Union and became a farmer and rancher.

Career

After deciding on a legal career, Cummings studied law with an attorney in Nebraska, attained Admission to the bar in 1891, and began to practice in

Custer County, Nebraska Custer County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 10,545. Its county seat is Broken Bow. The county was formed in 1877 and named after General George Armstrong Custer, who was kill ...

. In 1899, Cummings was an unsuccessful Populist Party candidate for Custer County Judge. During the campaign he was accused of falsely claiming to have studied law and been admitted to the bar. After the Populist party became defunct, Cummings maintained an interest in political activity as a member of the Socialist Party of America. In 1906, Cummings moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he continued farming and ranching, but discontinued the practice of law. From 1909 to 1913 he was a member of the Fort Collins city council. Before his election to Congress, Cummings served as president of the Mountain States Beet Growers Association, a lobbying and issues advocacy organization. He later served as president of the National Beet Growers Association. In 1922, he was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for

Larimer County Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver. ...

Commissioner. In 1932, Cummings was a successful Democratic candidate for election to the 73rd Congress. He was reelected three times and served from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1941. Cummings was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940. After leaving Congress, Cummings resumed farming and ranching. He died in Fort Collins on November 10, 1952. Cummings was buried at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.

Family

In 1889, Cummings married Nancy Jane Sutton (d. 1944). They were the parents of five children—George, Ralph, Harry, Edna, and Hugh. Cummings's sons Harry and Hugh predeceased him. In 1947, Cummings married Ina Graham, who died in 1951.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Fred Nelson 1864 births 1952 deaths People from Coös County, New Hampshire Politicians from Clinton, Iowa People from Custer County, Nebraska Nebraska Populists Nebraska socialists Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Politicians from Fort Collins, Colorado Colorado city council members Burials in Colorado