Franklin Menges (October 26, 1858 – May 12, 1956) was a Republican member of the

U.S. House of Representatives 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

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Early life and career

Franklin Menges was born at Menges Mills,

York County, Pennsylvania York County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York, Pennsylvania, ...

. He attended Baugher Academy Preparatory School in

Hanover, Pennsylvania Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 16,429 at the 2020 census. Located southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, the town is situated in a productive agricultural region. It i ...

, and graduated from

Gettysburg College Gettysburg College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1832, the campus is adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg College has about ...

in 1886. He became an instructor in

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

at Gettysburg College from 1886 to 1896, and then head of the science department of York High School from 1897 to 1903. He was a lecturer at farmers' institutes in

and other states from 1898 to 1918, and represented the

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is a cabinet-level agency in Pennsylvania. The department's purpose is to support a sustainable and safe supply of food and agricultural products; be good stewards of the land and natural resources ...

at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federa ...

at the

World's Fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

in 1904. He made a soil survey of the State of Pennsylvania, and was the author of numerous articles on scientific agriculture. In 1914, his book, ''Soils of Pennsylvania'' was published.Google Books
/ref> Menges was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-ninth, Seventieth, and Seventy-first Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1930. He was engaged in agricultural pursuits on his farm near

York, Pennsylvania York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...

, until his retirement in 1947. He moved to

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

, where he died; interred at Evergreen Cemetery,

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; ) is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the borough had a population of 7,106 people. Gettysburg was the site of ...

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menges, Franklin 1858 births 1956 deaths Politicians from York County, Pennsylvania Politicians from Arlington County, Virginia Gettysburg College alumni Burials at Evergreen Cemetery (Adams County, Pennsylvania) Virginia Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Educators from Pennsylvania 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives