William Emerson Barrett

{{Short description|American journalist and politician}}

{{other people||William Barrett (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =William Emerson Barrett

| image = William Emerson Barrett.png

| imagesize =

| state =Massachusetts

| district =7th

| term_start = March 4, 1895

| term_end = March 3, 1899

| preceded =William Everett

| succeeded =Ernest W. Roberts

|office2 = Massachusetts House of Representatives
11th Middlesex District{{Citation |last = Gifford | first = Stephen Nye| year = 1889 | title = A Manual for the Use of the General Court | page = 451 | publisher = Massachusetts General Court | location = Boston, Massachusetts }}

| term_start2 = 1888

| term_end2 = 1894

| preceded2 =

| succeeded2 =

|office3 = Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

| term_start3 = 1889

| term_end3 = 1894

| preceded3 =Charles J. Noyes

| succeeded3 =George von Lengerke Meyer

| birth_date =December 29, 1858

| birth_place =Melrose, Massachusetts

| death_date =February 12, 1906 (aged 47)

| death_place =Newton, Massachusetts

| nationality =

| party =Republican

| otherparty =

| spouse =Annie Louise Bailey (m. December 28, 1887)

| relations =

| children =William Emerson Barrett, Florence Barrett, Ruth Barrett, Constance Barrett

| residence =

| alma_mater =Dartmouth

| occupation =

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =William Emerson Barrett signature.png

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

William Emerson Barrett (December 29, 1858 – February 12, 1906) was an American journalist and politician.

Barrett was a founder of The Boston Evening Record, and served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and as a United States representative from Massachusetts.

Barrett was born in Melrose, Massachusetts on December 29, 1858. He attended public schools, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1880. He was assistant editor of the St. Albans Daily Messenger, then joining the staff of The Boston Daily Advertiser. He was Washington correspondent of the newspaper 1882-1886. He was recalled to Boston to become editor in chief. In 1888 Barrett was promoted to chief proprietor and manager of The Boston Daily Advertiser and The Boston Evening Record.

Barrett was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1887–1892 and served as speaker the last five years. He was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1898, and returned to Boston and resumed active management of his newspaper interests. Barrett served as president of the Union Trust Co. of Boston.

Barrett died of pneumonia in West Newton, Massachusetts{{Citation | title = Death List of A Day.; William Emerson Barrett | page = 7 | work = The New York Times | date = February 13, 1906}} on February 12, 1906. His interment was in Newton Cemetery.