Fred Cramer Gilchrist (June 2, 1868 – March 10, 1950) was an American educator who served as a seven-term Republican

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

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, from 1931 to 1945.

Early life and education

Born in

California, Pennsylvania California is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough on the Monongahela River in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,479 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. ...

, in

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington 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 209,349. Its county seat is Washington, Pe ...

, Gilchrist moved with his parents to

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city population was 40,713. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. Cedar Falls along with neighbori ...

, in 1871. He attended the public schools. He graduated from State Teachers' College,

, in 1886. From 1886 to 1890, he was a teacher and superintendent of two school districts in

Pocahontas County, Iowa Pocahontas County is a county located in Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 7,078, making it the state's ninth-least populous county. The county seat is Pocahontas. The county was formed in 1851. The county is named ...

–

Laurens, Iowa Laurens is a city in Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. Its population was 1,264 at the 2020 census. History Laurens was platted in 1881. It was named in honor of Henry and John Laurens, father and son, two French Huguenots who became res ...

, and

Rolfe, Iowa Rolfe is a city in Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 509 at the time of the 2020 census. This city was named after the Englishman John Rolfe, who married Pocahontas in Jamestown, Virginia. History Rolfe was platted in ...

Early career

From 1890 to 1892 he served as that County's superintendent of schools. Leaving school administration for law school, he graduated from the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. History The law school was founded in 1865 by George Grover Wright and Chester C. Cole as an independent la ...

at Iowa City in 1893, and 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 ...

that year. He then returned home and commenced private practice in

Laurens Laurens may refer to: Places United States * Laurens County, Georgia * Laurens, Iowa, a city * Laurens (town), New York * Laurens (village), New York * Laurens, South Carolina, a city * Laurens County, South Carolina * Fort Laurens, an ...

Political career

He served as a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

for one term, in 1902-1904. He also served as president of the board of education of Laurens from 1905 to 1928. Returning to legislative service, he served the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the Iowa, state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . Each Senat ...

from 1923 to 1931.

Congress

Between 1930 and 1944, Gilchrist served seven terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa. During his service, the size of Iowa's house delegation shrank from eleven (in 1931) to nine (in 1933) and then to eight (in 1943), requiring redistricting before the 1932 and 1942 elections. Thus, without ever changing addresses, Gilchrist represented three different congressional districts. In 1930, he ran for and won the seat in

Iowa's 10th congressional district Iowa's 10th congressional district existed from 1883 to 1933, when Iowa sent eleven congressmen to the United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United ...

that

L. J. Dickinson Lester Jesse ("L. J." or "Dick") Dickinson (October 29, 1873June 4, 1968) was a Republican United States Representative and United States Senate, Senator from Iowa. He was, in the words of Time (magazine), ''Time'' magazine, "a big, friendly, whi ...

vacated in his successful run for the U.S. Senate. Two years later, with his home county (Pocahontas) now in

Iowa's 8th congressional district Iowa's 8th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. The district was configured five times. Although the district encompassed four different areas of Iowa in its ninety-year existence, it was always predominantly rural, and elected a ...

, Gilchrist was one of three Iowa Republican House candidates to survive the Roosevelt landslide. He was re-elected four more times from that district, only once (in 1934) in a close race. In 1942, following the next redistricting, Pocahontas County was now in

Iowa's 6th congressional district Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former List of United States congressional districts, U.S. congressional district in the Iowa, State of Iowa. It existed in elections from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's population growth rate ...

, where Gilchrist won re-election once. However, in 1944, he was challenged for the Republican nomination by

James I. Dolliver James Isaac Dolliver (August 31, 1894 – December 10, 1978) served six terms as a Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district, beginning in 1944. He was the nephew of U.S. Senator Jonathan Prentiss Dolliver of Iowa. Bo ...

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000 United States Census, 2000. F ...

. In a primary election characterized by low turnout, Dolliver defeated Gilchrist,"Dolliver Wins in 6th District," Mason City Globe-Gazette, 1944-06-06 at 2. and went on to win the general election. In all, Gilchrist served in Congress from March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1945.

Later career and death

Upon his return to Laurens, Gilchrist resumed the practice of law. He died in Laurens on March 10, 1950, and was interred in Laurens Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrist, Fred Cramer 1868 births 1950 deaths People from California, Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives University of Northern Iowa alumni People from Laurens, Iowa People from Cedar Falls, Iowa University of Iowa College of Law alumni Schoolteachers from Iowa Iowa lawyers Republican Party Iowa state senators Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly