William F. Aldrich | |
|---|---|
 Congressman William F. Aldrich (R-AL), 1896 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's4th district | |
| In office March 13, 1896 – March 3, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | Gaston A. Robbins |
| Succeeded by | Thomas S. Plowman |
| In office February 9, 1898 – March 3, 1899 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas S. Plowman |
| Succeeded by | Gaston A. Robbins |
| In office March 8, 1900 – March 3, 1901 | |
| Preceded by | Gaston A. Robbins |
| Succeeded by | Sydney J. Bowie |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Farrington Aldrich March 11, 1853 (1853-03-11) Palmyra, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 30, 1925(1925-10-30) (aged 72) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Josephine Cables Aldrich, Fannie Spire Aldrich |
| Alma mater | Warren's Military Academy |
| Profession | Politician, manufacturer, editor, publisher |
| Signature | .png) |
William Farrington Aldrich (March 11, 1853 – October 30, 1925) was an American businessman and politician who served three non-consecutive stints as aU.S. Representative fromAlabama around the turn of the 20th century.
He was brother ofTruman Heminway Aldrich and great-great-grandfather ofWilliam J. Edwards.
He was the last Republican that Alabama sent to congress until 1965, part of the Jim Crow era dominance of the south by the Democratic Party.
One of four siblings, William Aldrich was born inPalmyra, New York on March 11, 1853, he was the son of William Farrington and Louisa Maria (Klapp) Aldrich.[1][2]
He attended public schools, and moved with his father to New York City in 1865, where he attended several schools and graduated from Warren's Military Academy inPoughkeepsie, New York, in 1873 after studying civil engineering.[1] Aldrich moved to Alabama in 1874.[3]
He leased the coal mines inAldrich, Alabama from his brother Truman, who was prospecting for new coal seams in the area.[1] The brothers became extremely successful and gained great wealth and prominence in the Alabama business community.[4]
He was married on April 16, 1889, to writer and editorJosephine Cables, who died in 1917.[5] He married Fannie Spire on July 15, 1920.
William Aldrich served as postmaster of the town that would bear his family name.[6]
Later, he was elected as aRepublican to theFifty-fourth Congress, defeatingGaston A. Robbins in a hard-fought race that needed to be confirmed by the U.S. House of Representatives. He supported business issues and gained the political support of the Birmingham business community. Despite this connection, Aldrich campaigned in favor of the silver coinage standard, rather than the gold standard favored by Republicans. This helped Aldrich win the support of some Populist voters in the district, which may have made the difference in the close race. He reversed his position once elected, also voting in favor of key Republican issues such as private ownership of the nation's railways.[7]
He was also elected to theFifty-fifth Congress, defeatingThomas S. Plowman, and theFifty-sixth Congress, again defeating Robbins. In all, Aldrich served from March 13, 1896, to March 3, 1901.[8]
He served as a delegate to the1900 Republican National Convention that renominated PresidentWilliam McKinley and his new vice presidential nominee,Theodore Roosevelt.[9]
Declining to run for reelection in 1900, Aldrich was involved in mining and manufacturing and built up the town that bears his name. He was editor, owner and publisher of the Birmingham (Alabama) Times. He was a delegate to theRepublican National Convention at Chicago in 1904, although he was critical of President Roosevelt in writings and editorials, claiming the president was too liberal for a Republican.[10]
He engaged in the development of mineral lands until his death in Birmingham on October 30, 1925.[3]
He was cremated and his ashes areinterred in the family vault located inRock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.[11]
William F. Aldrich was the last Republican to represent Alabama in Congress until 1965. His great-grandson William J. (Jack) Edwards represented Alabama in Congress from 1965 to 1985 as a Republican.[12]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Aldrich, William Farrington".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 73.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's 4th congressional district 1896–1897 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's 4th congressional district 1898–1899 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's 4th congressional district 1901–1901 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
