Blair Lee I
Encyclopedia
Francis Preston Blair Lee (August 9, 1857 December 25, 1944) was a Democratic
member of the United States Senate
, representing the State of Maryland
from 1914 to 1917. He was also the great-grandson of American patriot Richard Henry Lee
, and grandfather of former Maryland Governor
Blair Lee III
. Lee was named after his maternal grandfather Francis Preston Blair
.
Lee was born in Silver Spring, Maryland
and attended the common schools in the area. He was the son of Samuel Phillips Lee
and his wife, the former Elizabeth Blair
. He graduated from Princeton University
in 1880 and from the law department of Columbian (now George Washington) University
in 1882. He was admitted to the bar
of the District of Columbia and of Montgomery County, Maryland
in 1883 and commenced practice in Maryland.
Lee was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Fifty-fifth Congress in 1896. He was, however, elected to the Maryland State Senate
, and served from 1905 to 1913. In 1911, Lee ran for the position of Governor of Maryland, but was defeated by Democratic
rival Phillips Lee Goldsborough
.
Following his defeat in the gubernatorial election, Lee was elected to the United States Senate on November 4, 1913, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of senator Isidor Rayner
. He presented his credentials to serve as senator on December 5, 1913, but he did not qualify until January 28, 1914. While senator, Lee was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department, and a member of the Committee on Coast Defenses (Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth Congresses). He was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election in 1916.
Lee resumed the practice of law after he left the Senate. He died in Montgomery County, Maryland
and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery
in Washington, D.C.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, representing the State of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
from 1914 to 1917. He was also the great-grandson of American patriot Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee was an American statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence from Great Britain. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and his famous resolution of June 1776 led to the United States...
, and grandfather of former Maryland Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
Blair Lee III
Blair Lee III
Blair Lee III was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Secretary of State of Maryland from 1969 to 1971...
. Lee was named after his maternal grandfather Francis Preston Blair
Francis Preston Blair
Francis Preston Blair, Sr. was an American journalist and politician.-Biography:Blair was born at Abingdon, Virginia. He moved to Kentucky, graduated from Transylvania University in 1811, took to journalism, and was a contributor to Amos Kendall's paper, the Argus, at Frankfort...
.
Lee was born in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
and attended the common schools in the area. He was the son of Samuel Phillips Lee
Samuel Phillips Lee
Samuel Phillips Lee was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy. He commanded the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron from 4 September 1862 to 12 October 1864. His flagship was Philadelphia.-Life and career:...
and his wife, the former Elizabeth Blair
Elizabeth Blair Lee
Elizabeth Blair Lee was an American woman who lived through the American Civil War, and wrote hundreds of letters describing the events of the times to her husband, Samuel Philips Lee.-Biography:...
. He graduated from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1880 and from the law department of Columbian (now George Washington) University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1882. He was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
of the District of Columbia and of Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
in 1883 and commenced practice in Maryland.
Lee was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Fifty-fifth Congress in 1896. He was, however, elected to the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
, and served from 1905 to 1913. In 1911, Lee ran for the position of Governor of Maryland, but was defeated by Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
rival Phillips Lee Goldsborough
Phillips Lee Goldsborough
Phillips Lee Goldsborough I , was a Republican member of the United States Senate representing State of Maryland from 1929 to 1935...
.
Following his defeat in the gubernatorial election, Lee was elected to the United States Senate on November 4, 1913, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of senator Isidor Rayner
Isidor Rayner
Isidor Rayner was a Democratic member of the United States Senate, representing the State of Maryland from 1905-1912. He also represented the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland from 1887 to 1889, and 1891 to 1895....
. He presented his credentials to serve as senator on December 5, 1913, but he did not qualify until January 28, 1914. While senator, Lee was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department, and a member of the Committee on Coast Defenses (Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth Congresses). He was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election in 1916.
Lee resumed the practice of law after he left the Senate. He died in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery
Rock Creek Cemetery — also Rock Creek Church Yard and Cemetery — is an cemetery with a natural rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE in Washington, D.C.'s Michigan Park neighborhood, near Washington's Petworth neighborhood...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....