Jesse Houghton Metcalf (November 16, 1860October 9, 1942) was an American politician, he served as a

United States senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

Early life

Born in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, Metcalf was educated in private schools there, studied

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

manufacturing in

Yorkshire, England Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, and engaged in textile manufacturing. Metcalf's father, Jesse Metcalf, was a textile manufacturer, and his mother, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, was the co-founder of the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...

Career

In 1889 Metcalf received a large bequest from his father's business partner,

Henry J. Steere Henry Jonah Steere (1830–1889) was a prominent American philanthropist and industrialist from Rhode Island. Childhood Henry J. Steere was born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 11, 1830 to Alice Smith (1789–1863) and Jonah Steere (1788� ...

. Metcalf served as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1889 to 1891 and in 1907, and was a member of the Providence Common Council from 1888 to 1892. He was chairman of the Metropolitan Park Commission of Rhode Island from 1909 to 1924, and a member of the penal and charitable board from 1917 to 1923. In addition, he was president of

Rhode Island Hospital Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in the Upper South Providence neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the largest academic medical center in the region, affiliated with Brown University since 1959. As a ...

, a trustee of the

at Providence and of

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

, and from 1935 to 1940 a

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

man. He was also a part owner of ''

The Providence Journal ''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...

''."Trolley Cars and Fire Engines"
Warwick History, retrieved January 25, 2010. Metcalf was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate on November 4, 1924, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

LeBaron B. Colt LeBaron Bradford Colt (June 25, 1846 – August 18, 1924) was a United States senator from Rhode Island and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and of the United States Circuit Courts for the ...

; on the same day he was also elected for the term commencing March 4, 1925. He was reelected in 1930 and served from November 5, 1924, to January 3, 1937; he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1936. He is the last Republican to date to hold

's Class 2 Senate seat. In 1930 he was elected as a Compatriot of the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Patents (Sixty-ninth and Seventieth Congresses) and a member of the Committee on Education and Labor (Seventy-first and Seventy-second Congresses).

Death and legacy

He died in Providence in 1942; interment was in Swan Point Cemetery. The Jesse H. Metcalf Lodge at

Camp Yawgoog Yawgoog Scout Reservation (Camp Yawgoog) is a reservation for scouting located in Rockville, Rhode Island and operated by the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Founded in 1916, Yawgoog is the fifth oldest Boy Scout camp in the ...

, the funds for which were donated by his wife, houses the Camp Sandy Beach dining hall and was named in his honor. Metcalf's sister,

Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke (1854–1931) was the president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, Rhode Island from 1913 to 1931 and was the daughter of RISD co-founder Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf. Biography Eliza Greene M ...

, served as president of the

from 1913 to 1931.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalf, Jesse 1860 births 1942 deaths Republican Party members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives Republican Party United States senators from Rhode Island Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island Burials at Swan Point Cemetery