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 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

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

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 N ...

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 Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and his mother had been born in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. His family moved to

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. It borders the Mississippi River. The population was 24,469 as of 2020 United States census, 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa, DeWitt (also located in Clinto ...

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 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 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 k ...

. 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 The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of America ...

. In 1906, Cummings moved to

Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality in Larimer County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The population was 169,810 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an i ...

, 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 (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins, Colorado, Fort Colli ...

Commissioner. In 1932, Cummings was a successful Democratic candidate for election to the

73rd Congress The 73rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1933, ...

. 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 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives