Charles Miller Floyd (June 5, 1861 – February 3, 1923) was an American merchant, and manufacturer, and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from

Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...

who served as the 51st

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

from 1907 to 1909.

Biography

Floyd was born in

Derry, New Hampshire Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the fourth most populous in the ...

on June 5, 1861. He graduated from

Pinkerton Academy Pinkerton Academy is a secondary school in Derry, New Hampshire, United States. It serves roughly 3,269 students, making it by far the largest high school in New Hampshire, more than 1,300 students greater than the next largest high school. Pi ...

and became a successful businessman, including ownership interests in retail clothing stores, farms, a shoe factory, a furniture making factory, a door and window blind factory, a construction company, banks and commercial real estate. A

, Floyd served in the

New Hampshire State Senate The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population ...

from 1899 to 1901. He was a member of the state Executive Council from 1905 to 1907. In 1906 Floyd ran for Governor. He defeated popular novelist

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

for the Republican nomination, and finished first with a plurality in the general election. In a four-way race which included Socialist and Prohibition candidates, Floyd finished with slightly less than the majority required by the state constitution. The election then moved to the

New Hampshire General Court The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 membe ...

, which chose Floyd. Floyd's term included: attempts at ethics reform, including the elimination of free railroad passes for state legislators; creation of the state tax commission; and continued construction and improvement of state and local roads as automobiles became more prevalent. After leaving office Floyd returned to his business interests. He was a Delegate to the

1912 Republican National Convention The 1912 Republican National Convention was held at the Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois, from June 18 to June 22, 1912. The party nominated President William H. Taft and Vice President James S. Sherman for re-election for the 1912 United St ...

, was the state's

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

fuel administrator, and chaired the state tax commission from 1921 to 1923. Floyd died in Manchester on February 3, 1923. He was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester. Derry's Charles M. Floyd Elementary School, which closed in 2006, was named for him.

References

1861 births 1923 deaths Republican Party New Hampshire state senators Republican Party governors of New Hampshire American Congregationalists People from Derry, New Hampshire Members of the Executive Council of New Hampshire Pinkerton Academy alumni {{NewHampshire-politician-stub