Frederic Hale Parkhurst

Frederic Hale Parkhurst
52nd Governor of Maine
In office January 5, 1921 – January 31, 1921
Preceded by	Carl E. Milliken
Succeeded by	Percival Baxter
Member of the Maine Senate
In office 1907–1908
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
In office 1895–1896 1899–1902
Personal details
Born	November 5, 1864 Bangor, Maine, U.S.
Died	January 31, 1921 (age 51) Augusta, Maine, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Marie Jennings Reid Dorothy Woodman
Alma mater	George Washington University Law School
Profession	Attorney Businessman

Frederic Hale Parkhurst (November 5, 1864 in Bangor, Maine – January 31, 1921 in Augusta, Maine) was an American politician. He was the 52nd Governor of Maine.

Biography

He graduated from Washington, D.C.'s Columbian Law School (now George Washington University Law School) in 1887 and became an attorney in Bangor. He soon abandoned the law for business, and became partner with his father in a successful leather manufacturing and retail business.

A Republican, he served on the Bangor City Council from 1893 to 1894 and was the council's president in 1894. He was a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1895 to 1896 and 1899 to 1902. He was a Delegate to the 1900 Republican National Convention. Parkhurst was also a member of the Maine Militia, serving as Commissary General with the rank of colonel from 1901 to 1904.

From 1907 to 1908 Parkhurst was a member of the Maine State Senate, and he was chairman of the Maine Republican Party from 1914 to 1916. In 1920 he was elected Governor. He became ill during the period between winning the election and his inauguration. Parkhurst managed to leave his sickbed to take the oath of office, but died of pneumonia just three weeks later. He was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor.

His 26 days as Governor make his term one of the shortest in Maine history; the record belongs to Nathaniel Haskell, who served for 25 hours in 1953. Senate President Percival Proctor Baxter, also a Republican, finished Parkhurst's term in office.

References

• Frederic H. Parkhurst at the Notable Names Database
• Frederic Hale Parkhurst at Find a Grave
• Frederic Hale Parkurst at National Governors Association