Peter G. Gerry
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| Peter G. Gerry | |
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U.S. Senator, Rhode Island
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| In office 1917-1929; 1935-1947 |
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| Preceded by | Henry F. Lippitt (first term) Felix Hebert (second term) |
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| Succeeded by | Felix Herbert (first term) James H. McGrath (second term) |
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| Born | September 18, 1879 New York, NY |
| Died | October 31, 1957 (aged 78) Providence, RI |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mathilde Townsend, Edith Stuyvesant Vanderbilt |
| Profession | Attorney |
Peter Goelet Gerry (September 18, 1879 - October 31, 1957), also known as Peter G. Gerry, was a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island.
[edit] Early life
Gerry was born in New York City, the son of Elbridge Gerry (1837 - 1927) and Louisa Matilda Livingston Gerry (1836- ), and the great grandson of Elbridge Gerry (1744 - 1814), the fifth vice president of the United States (who had given his name to the term gerrymandering).
In the Summer of 1899, Peter G. Gerry and his brother, Robert Gerry, were tutored by William Lyon Mackenzie King, who later became a Prime Minister of Canada.[1].
Peter G. Gerry graduated from Harvard University in 1901; studied law and was admitted to the Rhode Island bar in 1906.
His first wife was Mathilde Townsend, a wealthy Washington society woman. They were married from 1910 to 1925. Gerry later married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser (1873 - 1958), the widow of George Washington Vanderbilt II (1862 - 1914).
[edit] Political career
Gerry was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Rhode Island's 2nd District as a Democrat from 1913 to 1915. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1914 but he was elected to the United States Senate in 1916 and served from 1917 to 1929. From 1919 to 1929, Gerry was a Democratic party whip. He has been described as a Wilsonian Moralist. In 1928 he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination but in 1934 he was again elected to the U.S Senate and served until 1947. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1946.
Gerry died on October 31, 1957 and was buried at St James Cemetery, Hyde Park, New York.
[edit] External links
- Peter G. Gerry at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Schlup, Leonard, “Wilsonian Moralist: Senator Peter G. Gerry and the Crusade for the League of Nations,” Rhode Island History 58 (February 2000)
- The Diary of William Lyon Mackenzie King
- References to Peter Gerry and Robert Gerry in Mackenzie King diary
| Preceded by George H. Utter |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district 1913 – 1915 |
Succeeded by Walter Russell Stiness |
| Preceded by Henry F. Lippitt |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island 1917 – 1929 Served alongside: LeBaron B. Colt, Jesse H. Metcalf |
Succeeded by Felix Hebert |
| Preceded by Felix Hebert |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island 1935 – 1947 Served alongside: Jesse H. Metcalf, Theodore F. Green |
Succeeded by James H. McGrath |
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