Frederick Low

{{for|the British lawyer and politician|Frederick Low (British politician)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Frederick Ferdinand Low

|image = Gov. F. F. Low Alt Crop.jpg

|caption = Low {{circa}} 1863–1867

|title = United States Minister to China

|term_start = September 28, 1869

|term_end = July 24, 1873

|president = Ulysses S. Grant

|predecessor = John Ross Browne

|successor = Benjamin Parke Avery

|order1 = 9th

|office1 = Governor of California

|term_start1 = December 10, 1863

|term_end1 = December 5, 1867

|lieutenant1 = Tim N. Machin

|predecessor1= Leland Stanford

|successor1 = Henry Huntly Haight

|state2 = California

|district2 = at-large

|term_start2 = June 3, 1862

|term_end2 = March 3, 1863

|predecessor2= Seat created

|successor2 = Thomas Bowles Shannon

|birth_date = {{birth date|1828|6|30|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Winterport, Maine

|death_date = {{death date and age|1894|7|21|1828|6|30}}

|death_place = San Francisco, California

|party = Republican

|otherparty = Unionist

|spouse = Mollie Creed

|children = Flora

|profession = Banker, politician

|religion =

}}

Frederick Ferdinand Low (June 30, 1828{{spaced ndash}}July 21, 1894) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the ninth governor of California from 1863 to 1867. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1862 to 1863, and later in life was appointed United States Minister to China, where he served from 1869 to 1873.

Early life and education

Born in Frankfort (now Winterport, Maine) in 1828, Low attended the Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine.

Career

Low moved to California, entering the shipping business in San Francisco in 1849. Low became a banker in Marysville, California from 1854 from 1861.

Low presented credentials as a Republican Member-elect to the 37th Congress but was not permitted to take his seat until a special act of Congress was passed. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from June 3, 1862 to March 3, 1863.

Low was appointed in 1863 as collector of the Port of San Francisco, and later that year was elected the 9th Governor of California, serving from December 10, 1863 to December 5, 1867. He was the second California governor to live in the Stanford Mansion as the official residence and office until the opening of the California State Capitol in 1869.{{cite web |url=http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23472 |title=Stanford Mansion History |author=Department of Parks & Recreation|publisher=State of California |access-date=2007-05-02}} Low was California's last Civil War governor. Hallmarks of his administration were the establishment of Yosemite National Park and University of California. Low was considered the father of the University of California, though his successor, Henry H. Haight, signed the Charter of the University.{{cite web |url=http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov/english/mm_library/media_items/m250_sm.html |title=Frederick Low, 9th Governor (1863-1867) |publisher=State of California |author=State Capitol Museum |access-date=2007-05-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070813040357/http://www.capitolmuseum.ca.gov/english/mm_library/media_items/m250_sm.html |archive-date = 2007-08-13}}

Low served as United States Minister to China from 1869 to 1874.

File:Frederick F. Low.png

Personal life

He died in San Francisco on July 21, 1894. He is buried in the Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080704055411/http://www.californiagovernors.ca.gov/h/biography/governor_9.html Frederick Low biography] at the California State Library

{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of California|years=1863}}

{{US House succession box |

state=California|

district=AL |

before=seat created |

after=Thomas B. Shannon |

years=June 3, 1862–March 3, 1863

}}

{{s-ttl|title=Governor of California|years=December 10, 1863 – December 5, 1867}}

Category:Republican Party governors of California

Category:People from Winterport, Maine

Category:People of California in the American Civil War