Frank R. Reid (April 18, 1879 – January 25, 1945) was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

from 1923 to 1935.

Biography

Born in

Aurora, Illinois Aurora is a city in northeastern Illinois, United States. It is located along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River west of Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, second-most populous city in Illinois, with a popul ...

, Reid was one of eleven children of an Irish grocery store owner. He was christened without a middle name and later chose the letter "R" for an initial.Waller, Douglas C. (2004). ''A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial That Gripped the Nation'', Harper Collins. , p. 38. Reid attended the public schools, the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, and the Chicago College of Law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1901 and commenced practice in

Early political career

He served as prosecuting attorney of Kane County 1904–1908. State's attorney 1904–1908. He served as assistant United States attorney at Chicago 1908–1910. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1911 and 1912. He served as chairman of the Kane County Republican central committee 1914–1916. Secretary of the League of Illinois Municipalities in 1916 and 1917.

Congress

Reid was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-eighth and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1935). He served as chairman of the Committee on Flood Control ( Sixty-ninth through Seventy-first Congresses). While serving on the House Aircraft Committee, he met Gen.

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...

, who was testifying before the committee. On October 3, 1925, he was requested by Mitchell to act as defense counsel during Mitchell's court-martial in Washington, D.C. for "conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline," and represented him ''pro bono''. In the dramatic film about the trial, ''

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell ''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' is a 1955 American CinemaScope biographical drama film directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Gary Cooper and co-starring Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger, and Elizabeth Montgomery in her fil ...

'', Reid was portrayed by

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and award ...

. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1934.

Later career and death

After leaving Congress, he engaged in the general practice of law at Chicago and Aurora, Illinois. He died in

, on January 25, 1945. He was interred in Spring Lake Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Frank R. 1879 births 1945 deaths Politicians from Aurora, Illinois University of Chicago alumni Illinois lawyers Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly