Fred Nelson Cummings
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Colorado's 2nd district
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1941
Preceded byCharles B. Timberlake
Succeeded byWilliam S. Hill
Personal details
Born(1864-09-18)18 September 1864
Groveton, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died10 November 1952(1952-11-10) (aged 88)
Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.
Resting placeGrandview Cemetery,
Fort Collins, Colorado
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Populist
Socialist
Spouse(s)Nancy Jane Sutton (m. 1889-1944, her death)
Ina Graham (m. 1947-1951, her death)
Children5
OccupationFarmer
Rancher

Fred Nelson Cummings (September 18, 1864 – November 10, 1952) was an American farmer and rancher who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Colorado for four terms from 1933 to 1941.

Early life and education

Frederick Nelson Cummings[1] was born on a farm near Groveton, New Hampshire on September 18, 1864,[2] a son of George and Angeline Cummings.[1] His father was a native of Canada and his mother had been born in Vermont.[1] His family moved to Clinton, Iowa in 1865.[2] In 1879, they relocated again, this time to a farm near West Union, Nebraska.[2] Cummings attended the local schools in Clinton and West Union and became a farmer and rancher.[2]

Career

After deciding on a legal career, Cummings studied law with an attorney in Nebraska, attained Admission to the bar in 1891, and began to practice in Custer County, Nebraska.[2] In 1899, Cummings was an unsuccessful Populist Party candidate for Custer County Judge.[3] During the campaign he was accused of falsely claiming to have studied law and been admitted to the bar.[3] After the Populist party became defunct, Cummings maintained an interest in political activity as a member of the Socialist Party of America.[4]

In 1906, Cummings moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he continued farming and ranching, but discontinued the practice of law.[2] From 1909 to 1913 he was a member of the Fort Collins city council.[2] Before his election to Congress, Cummings served as president of the Mountain States Beet Growers Association, a lobbying and issues advocacy organization.[5] He later served as president of the National Beet Growers Association.[2]

In 1922, he was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Larimer County Commissioner.[6][7] In 1932, Cummings was a successful Democratic candidate for election to the 73rd Congress.[2] He was reelected three times and served from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1941.[2] Cummings was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940.[2]

After leaving Congress, Cummings resumed farming and ranching.[2] He died in Fort Collins on November 10, 1952.[2] Cummings was buried at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.[8]

Family

In 1889, Cummings married Nancy Jane Sutton (d. 1944).[2] They were the parents of five children—George, Ralph, Harry, Edna, and Hugh.[2][9] Cummings's sons Harry and Hugh predeceased him.[2] In 1947, Cummings married Ina Graham, who died in 1951.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "1870 United States Federal Census, Entry for George Cummings Family". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. 1870. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Heart Attack Fatal Today to Cummings". Fort Collins Coloradan. Fort Collins, CO. November 10, 1952. pp. 1–2 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "The Populist Papers". Custer County Republican. Broken Bow, NE. October 5, 1899. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Socialist Conventions". Custer County Republican. Broken Bow, NE. September 11, 1902. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Beet Growers Take Notice". The Windsor Beacon. Windsor, CO. January 22, 1920. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Democratic Candidates, County Ticket". Fort Collins Coloradan. Fort Collins, CO. November 6, 1922. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Smith Leading for Sheriff by Small Margin". The Fort Collins Express. Fort Collins, CO. November 8, 1922. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Funeral Notice, Fred Cummings". Fort Collins Coloradan. Fort Collins, CO. November 10, 1952. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "1910 United States Federal Census, Entry for Frederick N. Cummings Family". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. 1910. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
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