Horace F. Graham
Horace F. Graham | |
---|---|
![]() Governor Horace Graham. Photo by A.W. Elson & Company, Belmont, Massachusetts. | |
56th Governor of Vermont | |
In office January 4, 1917 – January 9, 1919 | |
Lieutenant | Roger W. Hulburd |
Preceded by | Charles W. Gates |
Succeeded by | Percival W. Clement |
Vermont State Auditor | |
In office 1902–1917 | |
Preceded by | Orion M. Barber |
Succeeded by | Benjamin Gates |
State's Attorney of Orleans County, Vermont | |
In office 1898–1902 | |
Preceded by | Orien S. Annis |
Succeeded by | Albert W. Farman |
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Craftsbury | |
In office 1923–1925 | |
Preceded by | William C. Hadley |
Succeeded by | Mary Jean Simpson |
In office 1900–1902 | |
Preceded by | Portus W. Davison |
Succeeded by | James A. Gallagher |
In office 1892–1894 | |
Preceded by | Charles W. Dustin |
Succeeded by | Augustus Paddock |
Personal details | |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, US | February 7, 1862
Died | November 23, 1941 Craftsbury, Vermont, US | (aged 79)
Resting place | Craftsbury Common Cemetery, Craftsbury, Vermont |
Political party | Republican |
Education | College of the City of New York Columbia Law School |
Profession | Attorney |
Horace French Graham (February 7, 1862 – November 23, 1941) was an American politician who served as the 56th governor of Vermont from 1917 to 1919.
Early life
[edit]Graham was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Samuel Hallett Graham and Lucy Fairbanks (Swett) Graham. He received his early education in Craftsbury, Vermont, and was a graduate of Craftsbury Academy. He graduated from the College of the City of New York (now New York University) in 1882.[1][2][3] He received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1888 and became an attorney in Craftsbury.[4][5][6][7]
Graham was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.[8]
Early political career
[edit]A Republican, he served as Craftsbury's Town Meeting Moderator from 1902 to 1932, and in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1892 and 1900. He was Orleans County State's Attorney from 1898 to 1902, and a Republican Presidential elector in 1900.
Graham was Vermont's Auditor from 1902 to 1916, and a member of the state Education Commission in 1913.[9][10]
Election as Governor
[edit]In 1916 Graham was the successful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. In a state where only Republicans won statewide office from the 1850s to the 1960s, he easily won the general election. He served from 1917 to 1919, the one term then available to Vermont Republicans under the "Mountain Rule."[11][12][13]
Graham's governorship was notable for his advocacy of women's suffrage in local elections, and for his efforts to mobilize the Vermont National Guard and other state resources for World War I.[14][15]
Charges of embezzlement
[edit]While Graham was governor, an investigation revealed that a large sum of state money (nearly $25,000, or $450,000 in 2019) was unaccounted for during his term as Auditor. Graham repaid the missing funds, but was charged with embezzlement and convicted at trial.[16] He was then pardoned by the new Governor, Percival Clement, who lauded Graham's integrity (his nickname was "Honest Horace")[17] and efforts as Governor during World War I. Graham always maintained his innocence, but stated that since the loss took place while he was Auditor, he felt personally obligated to reimburse the state for the missing money.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
Post gubernatorial career
[edit]His reputation for integrity was largely undamaged, and he served in the Vermont House again from 1923 to 1925, and also took part in revising Vermont's Statutes in 1933.[26][27][28][29][30]
Death and burial
[edit]![Gravestone of Horace French Graham in Craftsbury's Crfatsbury Common Cemetery](http://178.128.105.246/cars-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Horace_French_Graham_gravestone.jpg/125px-Horace_French_Graham_gravestone.jpg)
Graham died in Craftsbury on November 23, 1941.[31] He was buried at Craftsbury Common Cemetery.[32]
Personal
[edit]Graham was a lifelong bachelor and lived with his sister Isabel.[33][34][35]
References
[edit]- ^ New York City College, Annual Register, 1878, page 109
- ^ Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Directory of Members, 1898, page 123
- ^ Phi Gamma Delta magazine, Governor Horace F. Graham, March 1917, page 605
- ^ Manual of the Legislature of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1902, page 54
- ^ Annual Register of the Officers and Students of Columbia College, published by the college, 1884, page 53
- ^ Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, William Hartley Jeffrey, 1904, pages 263 to 265
- ^ Columbia University, Annual Register of the Officers and Students of Columbia College, 1888, page 53
- ^ Biography, Horace F. Graham, Phi Gamma Delta magazine, published by the fraternity, Volume 39, May, 1917, pages 605 to 606
- ^ Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Secretary of State, 1933, page 586
- ^ Magazine article, Republican Presidential Electors, The Vermonter magazine, October 1900, page 47
- ^ Vermont: The Green Mountain State, by Walter Hill Crockett, Volume 4, 1921, pages 471-472
- ^ Newspaper article, The Mountain Rule in Vermont, New York Times, February 12, 1895
- ^ Magazine article, Mountain Rule Revisited, by Samuel B. Hand, Vermont History Magazine, published by Vermont Historical Society, Summer/Fall 2003, pages 139 to 151
- ^ History of Woman Suffrage: 1900-1920, edited by Ida Husted Harper, published by National American Woman Suffrage Association, Volume 6, 1922, page 663
- ^ Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, edited by Robert Sobel and John Raimo, Volume 4, 1978, page 1603
- ^ Warren A. Williams (2004–2020). "Two Forgotten Vermont Freemasons". vtfreemasons.org.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, published by Vermont Bar Association, 1922, page 66
- ^ Confirms Shortage in Graham's Books, New York Times, August 18, 1918
- ^ Newspaper article, A celebrated Case, New York Times, November 27, 1918
- ^ Newspaper article, Graham Denies Theft: Former Governor of Vermont Says he Repaid State Funds, New York Times, January 31, 1920
- ^ Newspaper article, Gov. Clement Gives Graham Full Pardon, Boston Daily Globe, November 5, 1920
- ^ Newspaper article, Ex-Governor Graham Convicted of Theft, New York Times, February 6, 1920
- ^ Untitled article, published in Moderator-Topic magazine, published by Michigan Education Company, Lansing, Michigan, November 18, 1920
- ^ "The Trials of Honest Horace: His rise, his rival and his fall". VTDigger. November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Horace Graham and W.W. Stickney to decide on new building or addition". The Burlington Free Press. May 26, 1915. p. 9. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Vermont Secretary of State, 1933
- ^ Newspaper article, H.F. Graham Dies; Ex-War Governor, New York Times, November 25, 1941
- ^ Who Was Who in America, published by Marquis Who's Who, Volume 2, 1950, page 217
- ^ American State Governors, 1776-1976], published by Oceana Publications, Dobbs Ferry, New York, Volume 3, 1977, page 486
- ^ Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, published by Vermont Bar Association, 1942
- ^ Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008 entry for Horace French Graham
- ^ Vermont Old Cemetery Association
- ^ 1910 U.S. Census entry, Isabel S. Graham family
- ^ 1920 U.S. Census entry, Lucy F. Graham family
- ^ 1930 U.S. Census entry, Horace F. Graham family
External resources
[edit]- Horace French Graham biography, National Governors Association, accessed November 19, 2011
VT Digger
[edit]- Heintz, Ben (November 21, 2018). "The Trials of Honest Horace, Part I: Vermont's forgotten governor". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
- Heintz, Ben (November 23, 2018). "The Trials of Honest Horace, Part II: His rise, his rival and his fall". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
- Heintz, Ben (November 25, 2018). "The Trials of Honest Horace, Part III: His reckoning". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
- Heintz, Ben (February 3, 2020). "Vermont's forgotten impeachment". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
- 1862 births
- 1941 deaths
- People from Craftsbury, Vermont
- New York University alumni
- Columbia Law School alumni
- Vermont lawyers
- State's attorneys in Vermont
- Republican Party governors of Vermont
- State auditors of Vermont
- Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
- Vermont politicians convicted of crimes
- Burials in Vermont
- Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons