Bill Schramm

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = Bill Schramm

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Frederick Schramm, 1935.jpg

|alt =

|caption =

|order = 11th Speaker of the House of Representatives

|primeminister =Peter Fraser

|term_start = 22 February 1944

|term_end = 12 October 1946

|predecessor = Bill Barnard

|successor = Robert McKeen

|constituency_MP2 = {{NZ electorate link|Auckland East}}

|parliament2 = New Zealand

|term_start2 = 2 December 1931

|term_end2 = 12 October 1946

|predecessor2 = James Donald

|successor2 = Constituency abolished

|birth_date = 28 March 1886

|birth_place = Hokitika, New Zealand

|death_date = 28 October 1962

|death_place = Auckland, New Zealand

|restingplace =

|restingplacecoordinates =

|birthname = Frederick William Schramm

|nationality =

|party = Labour

|spouse = Alice Amelia Peard

|children = 2

}}

Frederick William Schramm (28 March 1886 – 28 October 1962) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was the eleventh Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1944 to 1946.

Biography

=Early life=

Schramm was born in Hokitika in 1886. His Danish parents had arrived in New Zealand in the 1860s.{{cite news | title=New Members | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19311203.2.80 | accessdate=17 July 2015 | work=The Press | volume=LXVII | issue=20410 | date=3 December 1931 | page=14}} He received his education at Hokitika High School and at Canterbury College.{{cite news|title=New Members|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS19311203.2.116|accessdate=24 March 2015|work=Auckland Star |volume=LXII |issue=286|date=3 December 1931|page=11}} He was a prominent sports person in his younger years in athletics, cricket, and hockey, and represented Canterbury College in the New Zealand University championships for two years.{{cite news|title=Mr. Schramm the new Speaker|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19431027.2.54.1|accessdate=17 July 2015|work=Auckland Star|volume=LXXIV|issue=255|date=27 October 1943|page=4}}

He married Alice Amelia Peard in 1918; they had two daughters. Schramm started his professional career as a clerk with the Justice Department and held positions in Whanganui and Te Kūiti before World War I, and Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland after the war.{{cite web | title=Biographies of Former and Current Speakers of the New Zealand House of Representatives | url=http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/00PlibHstBldgsHistoryResourcesBiographies1/5eb1acee1c741d2f58f1e08478dfaa68097ae46c | publisher=New Zealand Parliament | accessdate=24 March 2015 | page=5 | format=PDF}} He then became deputy-registrar and deputy-sheriff of the Auckland Supreme Court but resigned in 1922 to enter private practice.{{cite news |title=Ex-Speaker Dies In Auckland |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=29 October 1962 |page=3}} He was a solicitor and barrister for the last nine years before his election to Parliament.

=Political career=

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1931}}

|end = 1935

|term = 24th

|electorate = Auckland East

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1935}}

|end = 1938

|term = 25th

|electorate = Auckland East

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1938}}

|end = 1943

|term = 26th

|electorate = Auckland East

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{NZ election link year|1943}}

|end = 1946

|term = 27th

|electorate = Auckland East

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

In 1927 he stood unsuccessfully for the Auckland City Council on a Labour Party ticket.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19270504.2.19.5 |title=Electoral |publisher=Auckland Star |date=4 May 1927 |access-date=21 January 2018 |page=5 }} Schramm was a member of the Auckland University College Council until his resignation in 1942.{{cite news|title=University Election|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19420330.2.55|accessdate=17 July 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald|volume=79|issue=24236|date=30 March 1942|page=4}}

In the {{NZ election link|1928}}, he contested the {{NZ electorate link|Hamilton}} electorate but came third.{{cite book |title=The General Election, 1928 |year=1929 |publisher=Government Printer |url= http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&cl=search&d=AJHR1929-I.2.3.2.37 |page=3 |accessdate=25 April 2015}} He was the Member of Parliament for Auckland East from {{NZ election link year|1931}} to 1946; when he was defeated for the new electorate of {{NZ electorate link|Parnell}}.{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |page=233}} Originally an ally of John A. Lee, they fell out and Schramm moved for Lee's expulsion at the 1940 Labour conference. Lee supported the National candidate Duncan Rae who defeated Schramm in the {{NZ electorate link|Parnell}} electorate in 1946.

In early 1947 he was a nominee for the Mount Albert by-election but was not selected as the candidate.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19470820.2.75 |title=Labour Considers Mt Albert Nominee |date=20 August 1947 |newspaper=The Northern Advocate |accessdate=23 June 2020 |page=8 }} Soon afterwards Schramm, who was originally from Hokitika, was also speculated as a possible candidate at another by-election in Westland but suggestion of him seeking the candidacy was later dismissed.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19471007.2.48 |title=Westland Seat – Mr Schramm Unlikely Candidate |work=The Press |volume=LXXXIII |issue=25308 |date=7 October 1947 |page=6 }}

In November 1947 he was Labour's candidate for the Auckland mayoralty, placing second behind sitting mayor Sir John Allum.{{cite news |title=Election of Mayor |work=Auckland Star |date=29 November 1947 |page=9 }} Schramm wished to stand for the mayoralty again in 1950, but was beaten for the Labour nomination by former city councillor John Stewart.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC19501007.2.51 |title=Labour Candidate To Oppose Auckland Mayor |work=Wanganui Chronicle |date=7 October 1950 |page=5 }} In {{NZ election link year|1949}} he stood in Parnell once more and was again defeated. He was then President of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee from 1955 to 1957.

=Awards and death=

In 1935, Schramm was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19350506.2.12 | title=Official jubilee medals | date=6 May 1935 | newspaper=The Evening Post | accessdate=3 August 2013 | page=4}}

In August 1958 Schramm suffered a fall while on the sixth floor of Dilworth Buildings in Queen Street where he had an office. He broke his thigh bone and was admitted to Middlemore Hospital.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19580804.2.154 |title=Former Speaker Injured |work=The Press |date=4 August 1958 |volume=XCVII |issue=28655 |page=14 }} He died in Auckland in 1962 and was buried at Purewa Cemetery.{{cite web |url=http://www.purewa.co.nz/details.asp?id=21702&type=Burial |title=Burial details |publisher=Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium |accessdate=11 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015161625/http://www.purewa.co.nz/details.asp?id=21702&type=Burial |archive-date=15 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}