Horace Hopkins Coolidge (February 11, 1832 – February 3, 1912) was a

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 ...

lawyer and politician who served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

, and as a member and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the ...

Early life

Coolidge was born on February 11, 1832, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Amos and Louisa (Hopkins) Coolidge.

Education

Coolidge attended

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

, and

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, from which he graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

in 1852. He received his A.M. from Harvard in 1855, and his LL.B. in 1856.

Massachusetts legislature

Coolidge started his career as an "eminent lawyer" in Boston. He served as a Master in Chancery and Commissioner of Insolvency. He was elected to the

from 1865 to 1867, and to the

from 1869 to 1872. He served as

of the

during his last three years in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Family life

Horace Hopkins Coolidge was a direct descendant of John and Mary Coolidge of Watertown, Massachusetts, formerly of Cottenham, England. They sailed to America in 1630 with the famous ''Arbella'' fleet led by Governor John Winthrop. On October 27, 1857 Horace Coolidge married Eunice Maria Weeks. They had four children: William Williamson Coolidge, Louisa Maria Coolidge, Alice Coolidge, and Charles Cummings Coolidge. W.W. Coolidge was a lawyer, city councillor, and city solicitor in Salem, Massachusetts. He married Helen Whittington Mills. Louisa Maria Coolidge married Alfred Dennis Hurd of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the couple resided in Salem, Massachusetts. Hurd's father, Melancthon Montgomery Hurd, was co-founder of Hurd & Houghton, a publishing company. Today, it is Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Alfred D. Hurd was also involved in the family publishing business. The couple had two children: Marjorie and John Coolidge Hurd. Alice Coolidge died young and unmarried. Charles Cummings Coolidge spent his life at sea and as a sheep rancher in Australia and Montana. He died unmarried.

Death

Coolidge died on February 3, 1912, at his home at 7 Court Square, in Boston, Massachusetts. He is buried at

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first rural cemetery, rural, or garden, cemetery in the United States, located on the line between Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, Watertown in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middl ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife and many of his descendants.

References