Henry Francis Naphen (August 14, 1852 – June 8, 1905) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

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 ...

. Born in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

(then a part of

the U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

), to John and Jane (Henry) Naphen, Naphen immigrated to the United States with his parents, who settled in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

. He was educated by private tutors and also attended the public schools. He was graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1878. He attended the

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

Law School. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

at Suffolk County in November 1879 and commenced practice in Boston.

Boston School Committee, Massachusetts State Senate, and other earlier work

He served as member of the

Boston School Committee Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the ...

from 1882 until January 1886. While on the School Committee Naphen served on the standing committees on the Horace Mann School, Sewing, and The Normal School. Naphen served as member of the

Massachusetts State Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member sen ...

in 1885 and 1886, representing the Fifth Suffolk District. Naphen was also appointed bail commissioner by the justices of the superior court. Naphen was a member of the

Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. Its charter was granted in March 1638 by the Great and Gen ...

United States Congress

Naphen was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903).

1898 election

The 1898 election was a two way race between Naphen and incumbent Republican Congressman

Samuel J. Barrows Samuel June Barrows (May 26, 1845 – April 21, 1909) was an American Republican politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Boston, Massachusetts. Early life and education Barrows was born in New York City to a strict Baptist ...

, Naphen won the election garnering 17,149 votes to Barrows' total of 13,909.

1902 election

Naphen wanted to run again in 1902 however William S. McNary, chairman of the Democratic State committee wanted the nomination and McNary forced Naphen to retire from the race. As McNary controlled the apparatus of the district's Democratic party Naphen decided to quietly drop out of the race rather than after a fight.

Death

He died in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, June 8, 1905.

References

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naphen, Henry Francis 1852 births 1905 deaths Harvard University alumni Boston University School of Law alumni Boston School Committee members Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 19th-century American legislators 19th-century Massachusetts politicians