Horace F. Graham Explained

Horace F. Graham
Order1:56th
Office1:Governor of Vermont
Term Start1:January 4, 1917
Term End1:January 9, 1919
Lieutenant1:Roger W. Hulburd
Predecessor1:Charles W. Gates
Successor1:Percival W. Clement
Office2:Vermont State Auditor
Term Start2:1902
Term End2:1917
Predecessor2:Orion M. Barber
Successor2:Benjamin Gates
Office3:State's Attorney of Orleans County, Vermont
Term Start3:1898
Term End3:1902
Predecessor3:Orien S. Annis
Successor3:Albert W. Farman
Office4:Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Craftsbury
Term Start4:1923
Term End4:1925
Predecessor4:William C. Hadley
Successor4:Mary Jean Simpson
Term Start5:1900
Term End5:1902
Predecessor5:Portus W. Davison
Successor5:James A. Gallagher
Term Start6:1892
Term End6:1894
Predecessor6:Charles W. Dustin
Successor6:Augustus Paddock
Birth Date:February 7, 1862
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, US
Death Place:Craftsbury, Vermont, US
Restingplace:Craftsbury Common Cemetery, Craftsbury, Vermont
Education:College of the City of New York
Columbia Law School
Profession:Attorney
Party:Republican

Horace French Graham (February 7, 1862November 23, 1941) was an American politician who served as the 56th governor of Vermont from 1917 to 1919.

Early life

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

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

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

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

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

Graham died in Craftsbury on November 23, 1941.[31] He was buried at Craftsbury Common Cemetery.[32]

Personal

Graham was a lifelong bachelor and lived with his sister Isabel.[33] [34] [35]

External resources

VT Digger

Notes and References

  1. New York City College, Annual Register, 1878, page 109
  2. Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Directory of Members, 1898, page 123
  3. Phi Gamma Delta magazine, Governor Horace F. Graham, March 1917, page 605
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=4KmjAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22horace+french+graham%22&pg=PA54 Manual of the Legislature of Vermont
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=mGQdAQAAIAAJ&dq=%22horace+french+graham%22&pg=RA5-PA53 Annual Register of the Officers and Students of Columbia College
  6. https://books.google.com/books?id=PkYjAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22graham%2C+horace+f.%22+vermont&pg=RA1-PA263 Successful Vermonters: A Modern Gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties
  7. Columbia University, Annual Register of the Officers and Students of Columbia College, 1888, page 53
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=yOISAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22horace+graham%22+vermont&pg=PA605 Biography, Horace F. Graham
  9. Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Secretary of State, 1933, page 586
  10. https://books.google.com/books?id=hY8eAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22horace+f+graham%22+orleans+county+state%27s+attorney&pg=PA47 Magazine article, Republican Presidential Electors
  11. https://books.google.com/books?id=EeV6r-D7w9oC&dq=%22horace+french+graham%22&pg=PA471 Vermont: The Green Mountain State
  12. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/02/12/106057508.pdf Newspaper article, The Mountain Rule in Vermont
  13. http://www.vermonthistory.org/journal/71/vt713_401.pdf Magazine article, Mountain Rule Revisited
  14. https://books.google.com/books?id=aX5KAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22horace+f.+graham%22+women+taxes&pg=PA663 History of Woman Suffrage: 1900-1920
  15. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, edited by Robert Sobel and John Raimo, Volume 4, 1978, page 1603
  16. News: vtfreemasons.org . 2004–2020 . Two Forgotten Vermont Freemasons . Warren A. Williams .
  17. Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, published by Vermont Bar Association, 1922, page 66
  18. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/08/18/98269982.pdf Confirms Shortage in Graham's Books
  19. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/11/27/96866873.pdf Newspaper article, A celebrated Case
  20. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/01/31/109798127.pdf Newspaper article, Graham Denies Theft: Former Governor of Vermont Says he Repaid State Funds
  21. Newspaper article, Gov. Clement Gives Graham Full Pardon, Boston Daily Globe, November 5, 1920
  22. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1920/02/06/118258094.pdf Newspaper article, Ex-Governor Graham Convicted of Theft
  23. https://books.google.com/books?id=AHXnAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA186 Untitled article
  24. Web site: 2018-11-23. The Trials of Honest Horace: His rise, his rival and his fall. 2020-11-19. VTDigger. en-US.
  25. News: 1915-05-26. Horace Graham and W.W. Stickney to decide on new building or addition.. 9. The Burlington Free Press. 2020-11-19.
  26. Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Vermont Secretary of State, 1933
  27. Newspaper article, H.F. Graham Dies; Ex-War Governor, New York Times, November 25, 1941
  28. Who Was Who in America, published by Marquis Who's Who, Volume 2, 1950, page 217
  29. American State Governors, 1776-1976
  30. Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, published by Vermont Bar Association, 1942
  31. Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008 entry for Horace French Graham
  32. http://www.voca58.org/cemeteries/cemetery.php?Town=Craftsbury&Name=Craftsbury%20Common Vermont Old Cemetery Association
  33. 1910 U.S. Census entry, Isabel S. Graham family
  34. 1920 U.S. Census entry, Lucy F. Graham family
  35. 1930 U.S. Census entry, Horace F. Graham family

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