Edwin F. Sweet
Edwin F. Sweet | |
|---|---|
 Edwin Forrest Sweet c. 1915 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 5th district | |
| In office 1911–1913 | |
| Preceded by | Gerrit J. Diekema |
| Succeeded by | Carl Mapes |
| Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan | |
| In office 1904–1905 | |
| Preceded by | W. Millard Palmer |
| Succeeded by | George E. Ellis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edwin Forrest Sweet November 21, 1847 Dansville, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 2, 1935 (aged 87) Ojai, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Sophia Fuller
(after 1876) |
| Alma mater | Yale College University of Michigan |
Fullerton, North Dakota
Edwin Forrest Sweet (November 21, 1847 – April 2, 1935) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.
Early life
Edwin F. Sweet was born in Dansville, New York. He was the son of Sidney Sweet and Hannah (née Redmond) Sweet.[1] He attended the common schools and Dansville Seminary. He graduated from the literary department of Yale College in 1871, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He was a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Phi chapter).[2]: 15
After graduation, Sweet engaged in a tour of Europe and the Holy Land. Departing from New York city October 9, 1871, he went to Liverpool, Wales, London, Paris, Marseilles, Rome, Naples, and Brindisi. He then sailed to Alexandria, Egypt, went up the River Nile to the first Cataract, and then spent a month in Palestine. On his return, he passed through Syria, Constantinople, Athens, Venice, Switzerland, Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Scotland. He returned to New York City one year to the day after his departure. In January 1873, he entered the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and graduated in 1874.
Career
He was admitted to the bar in 1874 and was employed as a clerk in the law firm of Hughes, O'Brien & Smiley in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In April 1876, he formed the law firm of Stuart & Sweet. Sweet was a member of the board of education from 1899 to 1906.
He served as Mayor of Grand Rapids from 1904 to 1906. Sweet defeated incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Gerrit J. Diekema, to be elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 5th congressional district to the 62nd United States Congress, serving from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1913. In 1912, he lost in the general election to Republican Carl E. Mapes.[3]
In 1913, Sweet was appointed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce, where he served until 1921. In 1916 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Michigan, losing to Albert Sleeper. He was member of the board of education of Grand Rapids from 1923 to 1926 and a member of the city commission from 1926 to 1928.
In the early 1880s, he invested in the Sweet Ranch in Dickey County, North Dakota. He is listed as the founder of Fullerton, North Dakota which was named in honor of his father-in-law and owner of the Carroll House Hotel in Fullerton which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4][5][6]
Personal life
In 1876, Sweet was married to Sophia Fuller Sweet (1854–1923), daughter of Grand Rapids attorney Edward Philo Fuller (1820–1886). Together, they were the parents of:[1]
- Carroll Fuller Sweet (1877–1955), who married Agnes Marie Callahan (1885–1969) in 1908.[1]
- George Philo Sweet (1881–1924), who married Jessie Louise Ellicott died from tuberculosis at the age of 42.[1]
He resided in Grand Rapids until 1928 when he retired and moved to Ojai, California where he died on April 2, 1935. He is interred in Oakhill Cemetery, Grand Rapids.[7]
Upon learning of Sweet's death, Carl Mapes said on the floor of the House of Representatives on April 3, 1935: "Mr. Speaker, the morning's paper carries the notice of the death, in California, of a former distinguished Democratic Member of the House, who represented the Fifth Congressional District of Michigan in the Sixty-second Congress, Hon. Edwin F. Sweet. He died at the ripe old age of 87. After his service in the House, he served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce during the 8 years of the Wilson administration. He was an honored and highly respected citizen and a capable and patriotic public servant."[8]
References
- ^ a b c d Reynolds, Cuyler (1914). Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 1154. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ "Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University Deceased during the Year 1934-1935" (PDF). Yale University. October 15, 1935. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ "Edwin F. Sweet". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Dickey County in pioneer days". The Oakes Times. July 6, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "The Founding of Fullerton, North Dakota". Fullerton Community Betterment Association. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Carroll House". SAH Archipedia. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Ex-Congressman Is Dead In West: Edwin F. Sweet Was First to Be Elected From 5th Michigan District". Lansing State Journal, April 3, 1935. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
- ^ "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
Further reading
- United States Congress. "Edwin F. Sweet (id: S001107)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Sweet, Edwin Forrest (1847-1935) The Political Graveyard
- Fisher, Ernest B. (2005) [1918]. "City of Grand Rapids". Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan : historical account of their progress from first settlement to the present time. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Library. p. 177. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
