Frank P. Briggs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromMissouri | |
| In office January 18, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Appointed by | Phil M. Donnelly |
| Preceded by | Harry S. Truman |
| Succeeded by | James P. Kem |
| President pro tempore of theMissouri Senate | |
| In office 1940–1945 | |
| Preceded by | Phil M. Donnelly |
| Succeeded by | Marion Charles Matthes |
| Member of theMissouri Senate | |
| In office January 4, 1933 – January 16, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur G. Hildreth |
| Succeeded by | Harry Revercomb |
| Constituency | 9th district |
| Mayor ofMacon, Missouri | |
| In office 1930–1933 | |
| Preceded by | Dudley L. Dempsey |
| Succeeded by | Raymie E. Burch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Parks Briggs (1894-02-25)February 25, 1894 |
| Died | September 23, 1992(1992-09-23) (aged 98) Macon, Missouri, US |
| Resting place | Walnut Ridge Cemetery,Fayette, Missouri, US |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Catherine Allen Shull (m. 1916) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri |
| Profession | Newspaper owner |
Frank Parks Briggs (February 25, 1894 – September 23, 1992) was aUnited States senator fromMissouri, and succeededHarry S. Truman when Truman was elected vice president.
Frank P. Briggs was born inArmstrong, Missouri on February 25, 1894, the son of Thomas Hale Briggs and Susan Almira (Ryle) Briggs.[1] He attended the schools of Armstrong andFayette, and was a student atCentral College from 1911 to 1914.[1] He graduated from theUniversity of Missouri inColumbia in 1915.[1] In May 1916, Briggs married Catherine Allen Shull.[1] They were the parents of three daughters, Ruth, Betty, Dorothy and two sons Eugene, and Tommy.[1]
Briggs became active in the newspaper and publishing businesses inMacon, Missouri as owner of theMacon Chronicle-Herald.[1] In addition to serving as editor and publisher, Briggs was also the author of a regular column, "It Seems to B".[2] Briggs was a member ofSigma Delta Chi and theMissouri Press Association.[2] He served as president of the Missouri Associated Dailies, and was a member of theNational Press Club.[2] In 1958 he received the University of Missouri School of Journalism's Distinguished Service in Journalism Award.[2]
ADemocrat, he was mayor of Macon from 1930 to 1933.[1] He served in theMissouri Senate from 1933 to 1945.[3][4] From 1940 to 1945, he served as the state senate's president pro tempore.[5]
In 1944, Briggs managed the successful Missouri gubernatorial campaign ofPhil M. Donnelly.[2] On January 18, 1945, Donnelly appointed Briggs to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy caused whenHarry S. Truman resigned to become vice president.[5] He served from January 18, 1945 to January 3, 1947, and was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the full term in 1946.[2]
After leaving the Senate, Briggs resumed work in his newspaper and publishing businesses.[1] In 1952, he managed Donnelly's successful campaign to return to the governorship.[2] briggs was a longtime member of theMissouri State Conservation Commission, and served four terms as its chairman.[1] From 1961 to 1965 he was United States AssistantSecretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife.[2] In 1961, he received thehonorary degree ofDoctor of Science from Central College.[6]
Briggs sold his newspaper in 1973, after which he lived in retirement in Macon.[7] His fraternal and civic activities included service as Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter ofRoyal Arch Masons of Missouri from 1936 to 1937, and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of AncientFree and Accepted Masons of Missouri in 1957.[2] He was a member of Macon'sRotary andElks clubs, and was active in the First Baptist Church of Macon.[2]
Briggs died at Samaritan Hospital in Macon on September 23, 1992.[6] He was buried at Walnut Ridge Cemetery in Fayette.[2]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromMissouri (Class 1) 1946 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Missouri 1945–1947 Served alongside:Forrest C. Donnell | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest living U.S. senator March 14, 1989 – September 23, 1992 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
