Frederick Ferdinand Low (June 30, 1828July 21, 1894) was an American
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and diplomat who served as the 9th
Governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
and a member of the
United States House of Representatives
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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.
Early life and education
Born in Frankfort (now
Winterport, Maine
Winterport is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,817 at the 2020 census. The Winterport Historic District, extending several blocks along Main Street (United States Route 1A), was listed on the National Register ...
) in 1828, Low attended the
Hampden Academy
Hampden Academy is a public high school located at 89 Western Avenue in Hampden, Maine, United States. The school is a part of Regional School Unit #22 (R.S.U. 22), with approximately 708 students from Hampden, Newburgh, Frankfort and Winterpo ...
in
Hampden, Maine
Hampden is a town on the Penobscot River estuary in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,709 at the 2020 census. Hampden is part of the Bangor metropolitan statistical area.
History
The town was originally called Whee ...
.
Career
Low moved to California, entering the shipping business in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1849. Low became a banker in
Marysville, California
Marysville is a city and the county seat of Yuba County, California, located in the Gold Country region of Northern California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,072, reflecting a decrease of 196 from the 12,268 counted ...
from 1854 from 1861.
Low presented credentials as a
Republican Member-elect to the
37th Congress
The 37th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861, ...
but was not permitted to take his seat until a special
act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...
was passed. He served as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
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 ...
from June 3, 1862 to March 3, 1863.
Low was appointed in 1863 as collector of the
Port of San Francisco prior to becoming
governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
from December 10, 1863 to December 5, 1867. He was the second California governor to live in the
Stanford Mansion as the official residence and office until the opening of the
California State Capitol in 1869. Low was California's last
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
governor. Hallmarks of his administration were the establishment of
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...
and
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
. Low was considered the father of the University of California, though his successor,
Henry H. Haight
Henry Huntly Haight (May 20, 1825 – September 2, 1878) was an American lawyer and politician. He was elected the tenth governor of California from December 5, 1867, to December 8, 1871.
Early life
Childhood and education
Haight was of Eng ...
, signed the Charter of the University.
Low served as
United States Minister to China
The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China (PRC). The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of W ...
from 1869 to 1874.
Personal life
He died in San Francisco on July 21, 1894. He is buried in the
Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in
Colma.
References
External links
Frederick Low biographyat the
California State Library
The California State Library is the state library of the State of California, founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. The Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. Today, it is the central ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Low, Frederick Ferdinand
Republican Party governors of California
People from Winterport, Maine
People of California in the American Civil War
Ambassadors of the United States to China
1828 births
1894 deaths
19th-century American diplomats
Union (American Civil War) state governors
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
Unionist Party state governors of the United States
19th-century American politicians
People from Marysville, California
Hampden Academy alumni
Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park