FRYE, William Pierce, American .lawyer, legislator and statesman: b. Lewiston, Me., 2 Sept. 1831; d. Lewiston, 8 Aug. 1911; son of Col. John M. and Alice M. Frye. He was grad uated at Bowdoin College in 1850 and after studying law in the office of William Pitt Fes senden, he began practice at Rockland, and later at Lewiston. He was elected to the State legisla ture from the latter city in 1861, 1862 and 1867. In 1864 he was a presidential elector on the Lin coln ticket. After serving a term as mayor of Lewiston, he was elected attorney-general of the State, on the Republican ticket, holding the office from 1868 to 1870. He was elected to Congress from his home district in 1871, and was re-elected no less than five times.
In i;;i he resigned his seat in the House of Representatives to accept the nomination to the United States Senate, filling the-vacancy caused by the resignation of James G. Blaine, who en tered Garfield's Cabinet as Secretary of State. Senator Frye was re-elected to the Senate in 1889, 1895, 1901 and 1907; was elected presi dent pro tem. of the Senate in 1896, and has
twice acted as permanent presiding officer of that body—after the death of Vice-President Hobart in 1899, and after the elevation of Vice-President Roosevelt to the Presidency hi 1901. After the close of the Spanish•American War Senator Frye was a member of the Peace Commission in Paris. He was chairman of the Commerce Com mittee in the Senate and has exerted a great influence on national legislation. He was looked upon as one of the great leaders of the Repub lican party, and had much to do with framing legislation on the tariff and as regards American shipping. During the exciting days of the Spanish-American War he acted as chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Senator Frye was given the degree of LL.D. by Bowdoin College in 1889, and also by Bates College in 1881.