Biography

He was born in Bradford, New Hampshire

Bradford, New Hampshire

Bradford is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census. The main village of the town, where 356 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Bradford census-designated place , and is located west of the junction of New Hampshire...

 to Ambrose S. Brackett and Nancy (Brown) Brackett. He was a 1865 graduate of Harvard College

Harvard College

Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...

 and an 1868 graduate of Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...

 and a lawyer by profession, holding the post of Judge Advocate of the Massachusetts Militia's First Brigade at one point during his career. He married Angie Moore Peck of Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...

 on June 20, 1878, they had four children.

Brackett, a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, served on the Boston Common (City) Council he later served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives

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 single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...

 from 1877 to 1882 representing Boston from the 17th Suffolk District, 17th Suffolk District and again from 1884 to 1887. From 1885 to 1887 Brackett was Speaker of the House.

His major accomplishment as a legislature was the establishment of cooperative banks. These banks were designed to encourage thrift among the working class.

From 1887 to 1890 he was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts under Oliver Ames

Oliver Ames

Oliver Ames was a U.S. political figure and financier. He was the 35th Governor of Massachusetts . He was the son of Oakes Ames , a United States Congressman who was censured in the Credit Mobilier scandal, and the nephew of Oliver Ames, Jr..-Biography:Ames was born in North Easton, Massachusetts...

. In 1889, when Ames retired, Brackett was elected to succeed him as Governor

Governor of Massachusetts

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...

, holding office from 1890 to 1891. During his year in office, he effectively advanced an agenda of tax reform and advocated further improvements in Massachusetts prisons. However, he was defeated for re-election in 1890 by the Democrat William E. Russell.

Brackett then returned to his Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 law practice, remaining active in his party: in 1892 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention

Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...

 and he served as a presidential elector in 1896 and 1900.

In 1887 Brackett built a Queen Anne style home at 87 Pleasant Street, Arlington, Massachusetts where he lived until his death in 1918. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, and is also part of Arlington's Pleasant Street Historic District.

1917 Massachusetts Constitutional Convention

In 1916, the Massachusetts legislature and electorate approved a calling of a Constitutional Convention. In May 1917, Brackett was elected to serve as a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1917, representing Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District.

Trivia

The Brackett School at 66 Eastern Avenue, Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...

, built in 1931, was named after him.

External links

• Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography