Augustus Gardner Means (June 8, 1925 – April 18, 1994) was an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Governor's Council. He was also the Republican nominee for Massachusetts State Treasurer in 1954 and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1960.

Early life

Means was born on June 8, 1925, in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, to W. Gordon and Constance (Gardner) Means. He was the great-grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge and the grandson of

Augustus Peabody Gardner Augustus Peabody Gardner (November 5, 1865 – January 14, 1918) was an American military officer and Republican Party politician from Massachusetts. He represented the North Shore region in the Massachusetts Senate and United States House of Re ...

. Means attended the

Groton School Groton School (founded as Groton School for Boys) is a private college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Ranked as one of the top five boarding high schools in the United States in Niche (2021–2022), it is affiliated ...

and in 1944 he graduated from the Culver Military Academy. After graduating, Means enlisted in the United States Army. He served with the 80th Infantry Division in France during World War II. He was shot in the chest outside of Bastogne when a platoon he was leading was pinned down by a concealed German machine gun. A deck of playing cards partially deflected the bullet and Means was able to crawl behind the gun and jump the soldiers manning it - killing three of them. His citations included the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

and Purple Heart. After his discharge in January 1946, Means worked as a veterinary assistant in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated from Cornell University, where he studied veterinary medicine and agriculture.

Personal life

In July 1946 he married Mary Callan. The couple first met at a dance in Boston when he was 13 and she was 11. The couple moved to Turf Meadow Farm in

Essex, Massachusetts Essex is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston and 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Newburyport. It is known for its former role as a center of shipbuilding. The population was 3,675 at the 2020 ce ...

, which had been purchased by Means' father years before. Together had five children - three daughters and two sons. The couple later divorced and in May 1961 he married Jean Draper Ham, granddaughter of George A. Draper. They had two sons and one daughter.

Political career

In 1950, Means was elected to the Essex Board of Selectmen. He did some of his campaigning while collecting garbage for the town (Means used the garbage as pig feed). Later that year he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1954 he was the Republican nominee for state treasurer. He lost to Democrat John Francis Kennedy 54% to 45%. In October 1955, Means was appointed to the Massachusetts Governor's Council to fill the vacancy caused by Arthur A. Thomson's appointment to the Haverhill District Court. Means was elected in his own right in 1956 and reelected in 1958. In 1960, he was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor. He lost to Democrat Edward F. McLaughlin, Jr. 54% to 45%.

Business career

Means owned a large livestock farm that had a sizable amount of cattle, sheep, chickens, turkeys, bison, and hogs. He was also involved in a number of other businesses; he was president of the Essex Lumber Co., president and treasurer of Means Chevrolet-Oldsmobile in

Ipswich, Massachusetts Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,785 at the 2020 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island. A reside ...

, managing director of a hotel in

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, and owner of a shopping center in

Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Manchester-by-the-Sea (also known simply as Manchester, its name prior to 1989) is a coastal town on Cape Ann, in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is known for scenic beaches and vista points. According to the 2020 population ...

. He also served as president of the Essex County Agricultural Society, which runs the Topsfield Fair.

Later life and death

In his later years Means donated much of his 650-acre farm to the Essex County Greenbelt. Means died on April 18, 1994, in

Sanibel, Florida Sanibel is an island and city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,382 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The island, also known as Sanibel Island, constitute ...

. He was survived by his second wife and seven of his children.

References