| 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 |
| Order 1 | 9th |
| Office 1 | Governor of California |
| Term start 1 | December 10, 1863 |
| Term end 1 | December 5, 1867 |
| Lieutenant 1 | Tim N. Machin |
| Predecessor 1 | Leland Stanford |
| Successor 1 | Henry Huntly Haight |
| State 2 | California |
| District 2 | at-large |
| Term start 2 | June 3, 1862 |
| Term end 2 | March 3, 1863 |
| Predecessor 2 | Seat created |
| Successor 2 | Thomas Bowles Shannon |
| Birth date | June 30, 1828 |
| Birth place | Winterport, Maine, US |
| Death date | July 21, 1894 (aged 66) |
| Death place | San Francisco, California, US |
| Resting place | Cypress Lawn Memorial Park |
| Party | Republican |
| Other party | Unionist |
| Spouse | Mollie Creed |
| Profession | Banker, politician |
Frederick Ferdinand Low (June 30, 1828 – 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.[1] 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.[2]
Low served as United States Minister to China from 1869 to 1874.[3] During his tenure, the Tianjin Massacre occurred, which Low reported back on to the United States.[4]
Personal life
He died in San Francisco on July 21, 1894. He is buried in the Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.
References
- ^ Department of Parks & Recreation. "Stanford Mansion History". State of California. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
- ^ State Capitol Museum. "Frederick Low, 9th Governor (1863-1867)". State of California. Archived 2007-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ Anderson, David L. (1980). "Between Two Cultures: Frederick F. Low in China". California History. 59 (3): 240–254. doi:10.2307/25157990. ISSN 0162-2897
- ^ Clyde, Paul Hibbert (1933). "Frederick F. Low and the Tientsin Massacre". Pacific Historical Review. 2 (1): 100–108. doi:10.2307/3633429. ISSN 0030-8684