Fred Nelson Cummings (September 18, 1864 – November 10, 1952) was an American farmer and rancher who served as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Colorado for four terms from 1933 to 1941.

Early life and education

Frederick Nelson Cummings was born on a farm near

Groveton, New Hampshire Groveton is a census-designated place (CDP) and the primary village in the town of Northumberland in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2020 census. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 3 and New ...

on September 18, 1864, a son of George and Angeline Cummings. His father was a native of Canada and his mother had been born in Vermont. His family moved to Clinton, Iowa in 1865. In 1879, they relocated again, this time to a farm near West Union, Nebraska. Cummings attended the local schools in Clinton and West Union and became a farmer and rancher.

Career

After deciding on a legal career, Cummings studied law with an attorney in Nebraska, attained

Admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1891, and began to practice in Custer County, Nebraska. In 1899, Cummings was an unsuccessful Populist Party candidate for Custer County Judge. During the campaign he was accused of falsely claiming to have studied law and been admitted to the bar. After the Populist party became defunct, Cummings maintained an interest in political activity as a member of the

Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of Ameri ...

. In 1906, Cummings moved to

Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359 ...

, where he continued farming and ranching, but discontinued the practice of law. From 1909 to 1913 he was a member of the Fort Collins city council. Before his election to Congress, Cummings served as president of the Mountain States Beet Growers Association, a lobbying and issues advocacy organization. He later served as president of the National Beet Growers Association. In 1922, he was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for

Larimer County Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver. ...

Commissioner. In 1932, Cummings was a successful

candidate for election to the

73rd Congress The 73rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1933, ...

. He was reelected three times and served from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1941. Cummings was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940. After leaving Congress, Cummings resumed farming and ranching. He died in Fort Collins on November 10, 1952. Cummings was buried at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins.

Family

In 1889, Cummings married Nancy Jane Sutton (d. 1944). They were the parents of five children—George, Ralph, Harry, Edna, and Hugh. Cummings's sons Harry and Hugh predeceased him. In 1947, Cummings married Ina Graham, who died in 1951.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Fred Nelson 1864 births 1952 deaths People from Coös County, New Hampshire Politicians from Clinton, Iowa People from Custer County, Nebraska Nebraska Populists Nebraska socialists Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Politicians from Fort Collins, Colorado Colorado city council members Burials in Colorado