Louis Adams Frothingham (July 13, 1871 – August 23, 1928) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...

from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Early life

Frothingham was born in

Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...

on July 13, 1871. He attended the public schools and

Adams Academy The Adams Academy was a school for boys in Quincy, Massachusetts founded by President John Adams, who outlined his wishes for a school to be built on the site of John Hancock's birthplace in an 1822 deed of trust. Opened in 1872, the Academy op ...

. He graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1893 (where he was a member of the Porcellian) and from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1896. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He served as second lieutenant in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

Political career

Frothingham was elected a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

, and served as Speaker from 1904 to 1905. He was the Republican nominee in the 1905 Boston mayoral election after narrowly defeating former Judge Henry S. Dewey. He lost the general election to Democrat

John F. Fitzgerald John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863 – October 2, 1950) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. Fitzgerald served as mayor of Boston and a member of the United State ...

48% to 39%. He served as the 41st

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

1909–1911, but was an unsuccessful candidate for

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 ...

in 1911. He was lecturer at Harvard. He then moved to North Easton and continued the practice of law. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1916. On May 9, 1916, Frothingham married Mary Shreve Ames in North Easton, Massachusetts. Mary Shreve Ames was a member of the wealthy and prominent Ames family of Easton, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of

Frederick Lothrop Ames Frederick Lothrop Ames (June 8, 1835 – September 13, 1893) was heir to a fortune in railroads and shovel manufacturing. He was Vice President of the Old Colony Railroad, a director of the Union Pacific railroad, and a co-founder of General Ele ...

the great niece of Congressman

Oakes Ames Oakes Ames (January 10, 1804 – May 8, 1873) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. As a congressman, he is credited by many historians as being ...

, and the first cousin, once removed of Oliver Ames who was Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Massachusetts. Frothingham served as a major in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

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 ...

. He was a member of the commission to visit the soldiers and sailors from Massachusetts in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He served as first vice commander of the Massachusetts branch of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

in 1919. He was overseer of Harvard University for eighteen years. Frothingham was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1921, until his death on board the yacht Winsome in

North Haven, Maine North Haven is a New England town, town and island in Knox County, Maine, Knox County, Maine, United States, in Penobscot Bay. The town is both a year-round island community and a prominent summer colony. The population was 417 at the 2020 United ...

on August 23, 1928. His interment was in Village Cemetery in North Easton.

References

Bibliography

*''Who's Who in State Politics, 1911'' Practical Politics (1911) pp. 6–7. * Sherburne, John H. ''Battery A: Field Artillery M. V. M., 1895–1905'', (1908) pp. 14, 18, 184–185. * Bridgman, Arthur Milnor. ''A Souvenir of Massachusetts Legislators'' (1901) p. 179.

Footnotes

External links