Horace F. Graham

Horace F. Graham

Horace French Graham (born February 7, 1862 in Brooklyn , New York , † November 23, 1941 in Craftsbury , Vermont ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1917 to 1919 .

Early years and political advancement

Horace Graham attended the City College of New York and then studied law at Columbia University until 1888 . He then moved to Craftsbury, Vermont, where he worked as a lawyer. Graham became a member of the Republican Party . Between 1892 and 1900 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Vermont and from 1898 to 1902 he was a district attorney in Orleans County . In 1900 he was an electoral candidate for President William McKinley . Between 1902 and 1916 he was head of the State Auditor of Vermont. From 1913 he was also a member of his state's education committee. In 1916, Horace Graham was elected as the new governor.

Vermont governor

Graham began his two-year term on January 4, 1917. His government was shaped by the events of World War I , to which Vermont had to contribute its part. Here, too, as everywhere in the United States, production had to be converted to armaments requirements. Young men were mustered and sent to the armed forces, and fuel and food were rationed. In addition to these war-related events, a commission was set up to review the books of all government agencies. Taxable women were given the right to vote at the local level. In addition, the state of Vermont fought against attempts by the federal government to usurp taxpayers' money owed to the state.

However, Graham made negative headlines at the time. An investigative commission found that while he was in charge of the Court of Auditors, a large amount of money had gone unchecked. Graham paid the money back out of pocket and was later convicted by a court, but pardoned by his successor in office, Percival W. Clement . Graham repeatedly protested his personal innocence in these events, but as the head of the audit office at the time, he took responsibility for the damage.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship on January 9, 1919, Graham initially withdrew from politics. Despite the scandal, his personal integrity was not called into question. Between 1923 and 1924 he was again a member of the House of Representatives of his state. He was even supported by the Democratic Party . In 1933 he was a member of a commission for the revision of the state constitution. Horace Graham died in November 1941.

Web links

• Horace Graham in the National Governors Association (English)

• Horace F. Graham in the database of Find a Grave (English)