Arthur Monroe Free (January 15, 1879 – April 1, 1953) was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as a United States representative from California from 1921 to 1933.

Arthur M. Free
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 8th district
In office
March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1933
Preceded byHugh S. Hersman
Succeeded byJohn J. McGrath
Personal details
Born(1879-01-15)January 15, 1879
San Jose, California, U.S.
DiedApril 1, 1953(1953-04-01) (aged 74)
San Jose, California, U.S.
Resting placeOak Hill Memorial Park
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMabel Free
ChildrenLloyd
Alma materStanford University

Biography

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He was born in San Jose, California and graduated from Stanford University in 1901 and from its law department in 1903. That same year, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in San Jose. He moved to Mountain View and was a city attorney from 1904 to 1910. He was the District Attorney of Santa Clara County from 1907 to 1919. He voluntarily retired and resumed the practice of law in San Jose.[1]

Free was a delegate to the Republican state conventions in 1914 and from 1920 to 1936.

Congress

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He was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1933). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress.

In Congress he served on several committees, notably the House Merchant and Marine Fisheries Committee, and the House Immigration and Naturalization Committee.[2] He was known for successfully introducing and championing the federal statue that created Moffett Federal Airfield.[3] In 1929, Free wrote a short book about Herbert Hoover.[4]

Later career and death

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Arthur's son Lloyd A. Free was a founder of the Institute for International Social Research.

Legacy

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The Arthur Monroe Free House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cottage in Mountain View that Free purchased in 1894 is now the home of the Michelin Star Restaurant, Chez TJ.[3]

Electoral history

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United States House of Representatives elections, 1920[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free 46,823 64%
Democratic Hugh S. Hersman (Incumbent) 26,311 36%
Total votes 73,134 100%
Republican gain from Democratic
United States House of Representatives elections, 1922[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 57,926 100.0%
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1924[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 55,713 100.0%
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1926[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 60,384 67.7%
Democratic Philip G. Sheehy 28,836 32.3%
Total votes 89,220 100.0%
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1928[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 80,613 68%
Democratic Cecelia M. Casserly 37,947 32%
Total votes 118,560 100%
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1930[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 93,377 100.0%
Republican hold
United States House of Representatives elections, 1932[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John J. McGrath 65,455 56.9%
Republican Arthur M. Free (Incumbent) 49,487 43.1%
Total votes 114,942 100.0%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

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Citations

  1. ^ "FREE, Arthur Monroe - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  2. ^ "ARTHUR MONROE FREE | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  3. ^ a b "Duke and George went across the US to visit Congressman Arthur M. Free. Who was he? - Parks and Recreation - County of Santa Clara". www.sccgov.org. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  4. ^ Free, Arthur Monroe (1929). Herbert Hoover. Press of J. S. Bridges & Company.
  5. ^ 1920 election results
  6. ^ 1922 election results
  7. ^ 1924 election results
  8. ^ 1926 election results
  9. ^ 1928 election results
  10. ^ 1930 election results
  11. ^ 1932 election results

Sources

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 8th congressional district

1921–1933
Succeeded by