Franklin Brockson
Encyclopedia
Franklin Brockson, was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as U. S. Representative from Delaware.
, New Castle County, Delaware. He graduated from the Wilmington Conference Academy at Dover in 1890.
, Delaware. He studied the law and graduated from the law department of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1896, when he was admitted to the Bar, and commenced practice in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1908 Brockson was elected to the State House for the 1909/10 session.
Brockson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912. During this term, he served in the Democratic majority in the 63rd Congress. Seeking reelection in 1914, he lost to Republican Thomas W. Miller, a lawyer from Wilmington, and son of the incumbent Governor Charles R. Miller
. Brockson served from March 4, 1913 until March 3, 1915, during the administration of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He then resumed the practice of law in Clayton and Wilmington.
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|State Representative
|Legislature
|Dover
|January 14, 1909
|January 11, 1911
|
|-
|U.S. Representative
|Legislature
|Washington
|March 4, 1913
|March 3, 1915
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States Congressional service
|-
! Dates
! Congress
! Chamber
! Majority
! President
! Committees
! Class/District
|-
|1913–1915
|63rd
|U.S. House
|Democratic
|Woodrow Wilson
.
|
|at-large
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
| Year
| Office
|
| Subject
| Party
| Votes
| %
|
| Opponent
| Party
| Votes
| %
|-
|1912
|U.S. Representative
|
| |Franklin Brockson
| |Democratic
| |22,485
| |47%
|
| |George Hall
Hiram R. Burton
Louis A. Drexler
| |Republican
Republican
Independent
| |16,740
5,497
2,825
| |35%
11%
6%
|-
|1914
|U.S. Representative
|
| |Franklin Brockson
| |Democratic
| |20,681
| |45%
|
| |Thomas W. Miller
| |Republican
| |22,922
| |50%
Early life and family
Brockson was born in Blackbird HundredBlackbird Hundred
Blackbird Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly, and while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, they presently have no meaningful use or...
, New Castle County, Delaware. He graduated from the Wilmington Conference Academy at Dover in 1890.
Professional and political career
Brockson began his career as a teacher and principal in the public schools at Port Penn and MarshalltonMarshallton, Delaware
Marshallton is an unincorporated community in Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The community was founded in 1836 and is named for John Marshall, mill owner.-Geography:...
, Delaware. He studied the law and graduated from the law department of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1896, when he was admitted to the Bar, and commenced practice in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1908 Brockson was elected to the State House for the 1909/10 session.
Brockson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912. During this term, he served in the Democratic majority in the 63rd Congress. Seeking reelection in 1914, he lost to Republican Thomas W. Miller, a lawyer from Wilmington, and son of the incumbent Governor Charles R. Miller
Charles R. Miller
Charles Robert Miller was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware.-Biography:...
. Brockson served from March 4, 1913 until March 3, 1915, during the administration of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He then resumed the practice of law in Clayton and Wilmington.
Death and legacy
Brockson died at Clayton and is buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Smyrna, Delaware.Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. Members of the General Assembly take office the second Tuesday of January. State Representatives have a two year term. U.S. Representatives took office March 4th and also have a two year term.{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|State Representative
Delaware House of Representatives
The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|January 14, 1909
|January 11, 1911
|
|-
|U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
|Legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
|Washington
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....
|March 4, 1913
|March 3, 1915
|
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States Congressional service
|-
! Dates
! Congress
! Chamber
! Majority
! President
! Committees
! Class/District
|-
|1913–1915
|63rd
63rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:...
|U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
|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...
|Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
.
|
|at-large
Delaware's At-large congressional district
Delaware's At-large congressional district is a congressional district that includes the entire U.S. state of Delaware.It is currently represented by Democrat John C. Carney, Jr., the former Lieutenant Governor of Delaware.-Voting:-History:...
{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
| Year
| Office
|
| Subject
| Party
| Votes
| %
|
| Opponent
| Party
| Votes
| %
|-
|1912
|U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
|
| |Franklin Brockson
| |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...
| |22,485
| |47%
|
| |George Hall
Hiram R. Burton
Hiram R. Burton
Hiram Rodney Burton was an American physician and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served two terms as U. S. Representative from Delaware.-Early life and family:...
Louis A. Drexler
| |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...
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...
Independent
| |16,740
5,497
2,825
| |35%
11%
6%
|-
|1914
|U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
|
| |Franklin Brockson
| |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...
| |20,681
| |45%
|
| |Thomas W. Miller
Thomas W. Miller
Thomas Woodnutt Miller was an American businessman, lawyer and politician, from Wilmington, Delaware, and Reno, Nevada. He was a veteran of World War I and a member of the Republican Party, who served as U. S. Representative from Delaware.-Early life and family:Miller was born in Wilmington,...
| |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...
| |22,922
| |50%
External links
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Delaware's Members of Congress
- Find a Grave
- The Political Graveyard
Places with more information
- Delaware Historical SocietyDelaware Historical SocietyThe Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...
; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161 - University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965 - Newark Free Library; 750 Library Ave., Newark, Delaware; (302) 731-7550