Frank C. Partridge
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Frank C. Partridge (May 7, 1861March 2, 1943) was an American attorney, diplomat, and business executive from Vermont. A Republican, he served briefly in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
, appointed to fill the vacancy left by the death of Frank L. Greene. A native of
East Middlebury, Vermont East Middlebury is a census-designated place in the town of Middlebury, Addison County, Vermont, United States. Its population was 425 as of the 2010 census. East Middlebury first came to the attention of settlers from British America after the ...
, Partridge was educated in Middlebury, attended
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...
, and graduated from
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
(1882) and
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
(1884). Proctor practiced law in
Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...
before becoming active in the Vermont Marble Company and associated politically with the company's owners, the
Redfield Proctor Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831March 4, 1908) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 189 ...
family. Partridge advanced up Vermont Marble's ranks beginning in the mid-1880s, and served successively as treasurer, vice president, president, and chairman of the board. In addition, he was affiliated with other Proctor businesses, including the Proctor Trust Company and the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad. Partridge held local offices in Proctor, including town clerk and school board member. When Redfield Proctor served as
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
from 1889 to 1890, Partridge served as his private secretary. Partridge's connection to a powerful cabinet member who later served in the U.S. Senate led to several appointments, including
Solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...
of the
Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
from 1890 to 1893,
United States Ambassador to Venezuela The following is a list of United States ambassadors, or other chiefs of mission, to Venezuela. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.'' The a ...
from 1893 to 1894, and U.S. Consul in
Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
,
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from 1897 to 1898. From 1898 to 1900, Partridge served in the
Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator repre ...
. As a prominent business leader and former diplomat, Partridge developed "senior statesman" status that led to service on various boards and commissions, in the 1910s and 1920s, including the state public safety committee that managed Vermont's participation in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the public corporation that aided in Vermont's recovery following the Great Flood of 1927. In December 1930, Governor
John E. Weeks John Eliakim Weeks (June 14, 1853 – September 10, 1949) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 61st governor of Vermont from 1927 to 1931. Early life Weeks was born in Salisbury, Vermont, on June 14, 1853, the son of Ebenez ...
appointed Partridge to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by the death of Frank Greene. Partridge lost the Republican nomination to
Warren Austin Warren Robinson Austin (November 12, 1877 – December 25, 1962) was an American politician and diplomat who served as United States Senator from Vermont and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. A native of Highgate Center, Vermont, Austin wa ...
in the March 1931 primary, and in overwhelmingly Republican Vermont, Austin easily defeated Democrat Stephen M. Driscoll in the general election. Partridge retired in 1935, and resided in Proctor. He died there on March 2, 1943, and was interred at South Street Cemetery in Proctor.


Early life and start of career

Frank Charles Partridge was born in
East Middlebury, Vermont East Middlebury is a census-designated place in the town of Middlebury, Addison County, Vermont, United States. Its population was 425 as of the 2010 census. East Middlebury first came to the attention of settlers from British America after the ...
on May 7, 1861, the son of Charles Frank Partridge and Sarah Ann (Rice) Partridge.Edmund Rice (1638) Association, 2009. Descendants of Edmund Rice: The First Nine Generations. He graduated from Middlebury High School in 1878, and as a teenager worked as a messenger for
Redfield Proctor Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831March 4, 1908) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 189 ...
during Proctor's term as
Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...
. He attended
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...
, graduated from
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
in 1882 (with classmate
Fletcher Dutton Proctor Fletcher Dutton Proctor (November 7, 1860 – September 27, 1911) was an American businessman, a Republican politician, and the 51st governor of Vermont, who served from 1906 to 1908. Personal life Proctor was born in Cavendish, Vermont, ...
), and received his law degree from
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
in 1884. Partridge worked as a
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
in
Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...
and then began a career with the Vermont Marble Company in
Proctor, Vermont Proctor is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,763 at the 2020 census. Proctor is home to the Vermont Marble Museum and Wilson Castle. History In the early 19th century, small high-quality marble deposit ...
. Vermont Marble was owned by
Redfield Proctor Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831March 4, 1908) was a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as the 37th governor of Vermont from 1878 to 1880, as Secretary of War from 1889 to 1891, and as a United States Senator for Vermont from 189 ...
, and Partridge's decision to join Vermont Marble continued his lifelong association with the Proctor family. He served as Vermont Marble's treasurer (1886); vice president (1891); and president (1912) and chairman of the board of directors. He was also president of the Proctor Trust Company and the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad, as well as a member of National Life Insurance Company's board of directors. Partridge was a trustee of Middlebury College, and received an
honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...
LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
degree from Middlebury in 1909.


Political career

A Republican, he held several positions in local, state and national government, including: Proctor
Town Clerk A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ma ...
(1887–1889);
school board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...
member (1888–1889); Private Secretary to
Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
Redfield Proctor (1889–1890);
Solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...
of the
Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
(1890–1893);
United States Ambassador to Venezuela The following is a list of United States ambassadors, or other chiefs of mission, to Venezuela. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently ''Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.'' The a ...
(1893–1894); U.S. Consul in
Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
(1897–1898);
Vermont State Senator The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Sen ...
(1898–1900); Member of Vermont's
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Committee of Public Safety (1917–1919); member of the American Society of International Law's executive council (1906–1923); chairman of the commission to propose amendments to the
Constitution of Vermont The Constitution of the State of Vermont is the fundamental body of law of the U.S. state of Vermont, describing and framing its government. It was adopted in 1793 following Vermont's admission to the Union in 1791 and is largely based upon the ...
(1909); delegate to the Fifth
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in
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(1923); member of the New England Council (1925–1927); and president of the Vermont Flood Credit Corporation (following the
Flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
of 1927).


United States Senator

In December, 1930 Partridge was appointed by
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
John E. Weeks John Eliakim Weeks (June 14, 1853 – September 10, 1949) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 61st governor of Vermont from 1927 to 1931. Early life Weeks was born in Salisbury, Vermont, on June 14, 1853, the son of Ebenez ...
to fill the Senate vacancy caused by the death of Frank L. Greene. Partridge ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in the special election to finish Greene's term, losing to Warren R. Austin, who won the general election and succeeded Partridge. Partridge served in the Senate from December 23, 1930, to March 31, 1931, and during his brief term he was chairman of the Senate's Committee on Enrolled Bills.


Retirement and death

Partridge retired from Vermont Marble in 1935, and died in Proctor on March 2, 1943. He was interred at South Street Cemetery in Proctor.


Family

In 1907, Partridge married Sarah L. Sanborn of Illinois. They were the parents of five children—Frances Partridge Coulter (1909–2007), Charles F. (1911–2001), Sanborn (1915–2013), Ruth (1917–2022), and David (b. 1925-2025).


Rice family and relations

Partridge was a descendant of
Edmund Rice Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...
, an English immigrant to
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...
, as follows: * Frank Charles Partridge, son of ** Sarah Ann Rice (1835 – 1919), daughter of :** Luther Rice (1799 – 1876), son of :** Eliakim Rice (1756 – 1834), son of :** Zebulon Rice (1725 – 1799), son of **** Elisha Rice (1679 – 1761), son of **** Thomas Rice (1626 – 1681), son of :****
Edmund Rice Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...
(1594 – 1663)


References


External links


Frank C. Partridge (AC 1882) Collection
at the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Partridge, Frank C. 1861 births 1943 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela Republican Party Vermont state senators Amherst College alumni Columbia Law School alumni Republican Party United States senators from Vermont Politicians from Middlebury, Vermont People from Proctor, Vermont Middlebury College alumni 20th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly Delta Upsilon members