Charles Sumner Hamlin (August 30, 1861April 24, 1938) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1914 to 1916. He previously served as the

United States assistant secretary of the treasury A United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury is one of several positions in the United States Department of the Treasury, serving under the United States Secretary of the Treasury. History According to U.S. statute, there are eight Assista ...

from 1893 to 1897, and again from 1913 until 1914 when President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

nominated him as one of the original members of the

Federal Reserve Board The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as the Federal Reserve Board, is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the mon ...

. After his term as chairman, Hamlin continued to serve on the Board through 1936.

Early life

Charles Sumner Hamlin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 30, 1861, to Anna and Edward Hamlin. His mother was born in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to Irish parents, while his father, a coal dealer, was from Massachusetts. He graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1883 and received his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from Harvard in 1886. Sumner studied law while completing his master's degree and attained admission to the bar in 1886,

practicing law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

in Boston.

Career

From 1893 to 1897 and again from 1913 to 1914, Hamlin was the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. He twice ran unsuccessfully for

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachusetts ...

, in

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

and

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

. On August 10, 1914, he was appointed the first Chairman of the Federal Reserve and served in that capacity until August 9, 1916. Hamlin remained as Fed's board member until 1936. He lectured at

on government studies from 1902 to 1903. In 1912, Hamlin was vice president of the Woodrow Wilson College Men's League and president of the Woodrow Wilson League of Massachusetts. He also published pamphlets on statistical and financial subjects, including an ''Index Digest of Interstate Commerce Laws'' (1907) and the ''Index Digest of the Federal Reserve Bulletin'' (1921).

Death

Hamlin died in Washington, D.C. on April 24, 1938. He was buried at

Forest Hills Cemetery Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was established in 1848 as a public ...

in Jamaica Plain,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Family

In 1898, Sumner married Huybertje Lansing Pruyn (April 8, 1878 – March 6, 1964), the daughter of

John V. L. Pruyn John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn (June 22, 1811 – November 21, 1877) was a lawyer, businessman and politician from Albany, New York. His business ventures included banking and railroads, often in partnership with longtime friend Erastus Corning, ...

and granddaughter of

Amasa J. Parker Amasa Junius Parker (June 2, 1807May 13, 1890) was an attorney, politician and judge from New York. He is most notable for his service as a member of the New York State Assembly (1834), a U.S. Representative (1837-1839), and a justice of the New ...

Legacy

Hamlin's papers are archived at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

References

External links

*
Charles S. Hamlin Papers
from the Library of Congress, including diaries from his time as Governor of the Federal Reserve Board
Statements and Speeches of Charles S. Hamlin
1861 births 1938 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians American legal writers American people of Irish descent Chairs of the Federal Reserve Coolidge administration personnel Harding administration personnel Harvard University alumni Hoover administration personnel Lawyers from Boston Massachusetts lawyers Pruyn family Franklin D. Roosevelt administration personnel Woodrow Wilson administration personnel {{Massachusetts-politician-stub