Fred Tuttle
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Frederick Herman Tuttle (July 18, 1919 – October 4, 2003) was an American dairy farmer, actor,
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
veteran of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and Republican candidate for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
from
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
in 1998. He lived in Tunbridge all his life, and attended South Royalton High School before dropping out after the tenth grade to begin a career as a dairy farmer. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and participated in military actions in the European Theater. Tuttle retired from farming in 1984, and continued to reside in Tunbridge, where he engaged in gardening and other hobbies. Tuttle was a neighbor of filmmaker John O'Brien, who recognized that Tuttle's charisma and unique personality might come across well on film. As a result, he cast Tuttle in movie roles including parts in '' Nosey Parker'' and '' Man with a Plan''. In 1998, Tuttle and O'Brien decided that a Tuttle candidacy for public office might help publicize ''Man with a Plan'', a mock documentary which centers on the idea of a retired farmer (Tuttle) running for 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 ...
because it is easier and pays better than farming. They decided to run for the Republican nomination to oppose Senator
Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
, in part to promote the film, and in part to poke fun at
Jack McMullen Jack Michael McMullen (born 22 February 1991) is an English actor and writer, best known for his roles in '' Waterloo Road'', ''Little Boy Blue'', '' Brookside'' and ''Grange Hill''. Early life Jack Michael McMullen was born in Liverpool on 22 ...
, a recent arrival to Vermont, who was accused of moving to the state because it would be easier to campaign for a
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
seat there than in his home state of
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 ...
. Tuttle defeated McMullen after a campaign of humorous and memorable incidents. He then announced that he had no intention of leaving Tunbridge or serving in the Senate, and endorsed Leahy for reelection. They made several joint appearances, and Leahy easily won reelection in November. The campaign added to Tuttle's growing status as a folk figure and cult hero, and a steady stream of public appearances followed. He died in 2003, and was buried in Tunbridge.


Early life

Tuttle was born in
Tunbridge, Vermont Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the town population was 1,337. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of ...
, the son of Bessie Laura (Hoyt) and Joseph Charles Tuttle. He lived in Tunbridge all his life, except for his military service. He attended the schools of Tunbridge, and completed tenth grade at South Royalton High School before going to work on his family's dairy farm.


Military service

Tuttle served in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He participated in military actions in Europe, first with the Military Police, and then Army Corps of Engineers.


Post-World War II

In 1947, Tuttle married Ida May Foote (1916-2000) in
Canterbury, New Hampshire Canterbury is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,389 at the 2020 census. The Canterbury Shaker Village is in the eastern part of the town. History First granted by Lieutenant Governor John Wentworth ...
. They divorced and in 1953, Tuttle married Charlotte Lorraine Perry (1929-1999) in
White River Junction, Vermont White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest c ...
. He married Dorothy L. (Hilts) (1929-2011) in Maine in 1961.


Later career

Tuttle retired from farming in 1984 and engaged in gardening and other hobbies. After his retirement, he appeared in several
movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s directed by Vermont filmmaker John O'Brien, including '' Nosey Parker'' and '' Man with a Plan''. He starred in the latter, playing a retired farmer who decides to run for U.S. Representative from Vermont. In 1998, Tuttle was persuaded to run in the
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 ...
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
primary. His opponent was
Jack McMullen Jack Michael McMullen (born 22 February 1991) is an English actor and writer, best known for his roles in '' Waterloo Road'', ''Little Boy Blue'', '' Brookside'' and ''Grange Hill''. Early life Jack Michael McMullen was born in Liverpool on 22 ...
, a multi-millionaire who had lived in
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 ...
for most of his adult life. McMullen faced opposition from some Vermont Republicans who felt that he was a carpetbagger who apparently moved to Vermont for the sole purpose of establishing residency for a Senate run. The Vermont primary structure allows Democrats and Independents to vote in the Republican primary, and many people foresaw the possibility that Tuttle would beat McMullen by drawing votes across party lines. In addition, some may have hoped that a Tuttle campaign would help to publicize the film ''Man with a Plan''. Tuttle campaigned on a platform that seemed absurdist by the standards of contemporary politics. McMullen and the state Republican Party challenged Tuttle's ballot petition and got 95 of his signatures invalidated. Tuttle needed 23 more to stay on the ballot and he received 2,309 more signatures. McMullen then gave flowers to Tuttle in the hospital while Tuttle was there for knee surgery. During the radio-broadcast debate, Tuttle asked a series of humorous local knowledge questions rather than political questions. McMullen was unable to correctly pronounce the names of several Vermont towns, or correctly answer Fred's question "How many
teat A teat is the projection from the mammary glands of mammals from which milk flows or is ejected for the purpose of feeding young. In many mammals the teat projects from the udder. The number of teats varies by mammalian species and often corr ...
s a
Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...
got?" answering "Six", instead of the correct four. In the primary, Tuttle defeated McMullen by ten percentage points. Winning the primary with 55 percent of the vote, Tuttle promptly endorsed the incumbent Democrat,
Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
. Tuttle's subsequent election campaign against Leahy saw him continue to receive publicity. He continued to endorse Leahy, saying of him, "He knows how many tits on a cow." Tuttle commented that he did not really want to win because he would have to move to
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Despite his endorsement of his opponent, Tuttle garnered 48,051 votes (22 percent of the vote) in the actual election. Tuttle was described by Senator Leahy as "the distilled essence of Vermonthood". He was considered by many to be an example of both the "everyman" and of the unique individualist.


Death and burial

Tuttle died in
Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...
, after being hospitalized with a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
following a day spent digging
potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...
es at his home in Tunbridge. He was buried at Tunbridge's Spring Road Cemetery wearing his overalls, with a pen in his pocket for autograph signing and a can of
Moxie Moxie is a brand of carbonated beverage that is among the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It was created around 1876 by Augustin Thompson as a patent medicine called "Moxie Nerve Food" and was produced in Lowell, Massac ...
by his side."Fred Tuttle, 84, Farmer and Celebrity, Dies"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', October 7, 2003.


Electoral history


Notes


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tuttle, Fred 1919 births 2003 deaths American Protestants People from Tunbridge, Vermont Military personnel from Vermont Vermont culture United States Army personnel of World War II Farmers from Vermont United States Army soldiers Burials in Vermont Vermont Republicans Dairy farmers