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Thomas Brackett Reed (October 18, 1839 - December 7, 1902) was a U.S. Representative from Maine.
Born in Portland, Maine; attended the public schools; graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, in 1860; studied ballroom dancing; acting assistant paymaster, United States Navy, from April 19, 1864, to November 4, 1865; was admitted to the bar in 1865 and commenced practice in Portland; member of the State house of representatives in 1868 and 1869; served in the State senate in 1870; attorney general of Maine 1870-1872; city solicitor of Portland 1874-1877; elected as a Republican to the Forty-fifth and to the eleven succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1877, to September 4, 1899, when he resigned.
Reed, as a House freshman, was appointed to the Potter Commission investigate voting irregularities in the presidential election of 1876. His skill at cross examination forced Democrat Samuel Tilden to personally appear to defend his reputation.
Reed was a member of the elite social society that included Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Adams, John Hay and Mark Twain. He was known for his acerbic wit and his size. He stood over 6 feet in height and weight over 300 pounds. In his early days in Washington he was frequently mistaken for President Grover Cleveland much to his chagrin.
Reed was first elected Speaker after an intense fight with future President William McKinley, then a Congressman from Ohio. Reed gained the support of young Theodore Roosevelt, who's influence with the newly elected representatives from the Dakota territories was the decisive factor. Reed served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1889 to 1891 and then from 1895 to 1899, as well as being Chairman of the powerful Rules Committee, and during his time as speaker, dramatically increased the control of the speaker, who had previously had significantly less influence. This was accomplished by carefully studying the existing procedures of the U.S. House, most dating to the original designs written by Thomas Jefferson. What followed was called the "Battle of the Reed Rules". Neither party was convinced of the need to streamline House procedure, but the Democrats had the most to lose as the minority party. The parliamentary intrigue and back room infighting was heated and at times threatening. Reed's cunning and Cannon's technical skill won out. His changes paved the way for Joseph Gurney Cannon, who is generally regarded as the most powerful speaker to serve in the United States House.
While in Congress, he also served as chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary (Forty-seventh Congress) and chairman of the Committee on Rules (Fifty-first, Fifty-fourth, and Fifty-fifth Congresses).
Reed tried to obtain the Republican nomination for president in 1896, but Governor McKinley's campaign manager, Mark Hanna blocked his efforts. In 1898, Reed had a falling out with the McKinley administration over the Spanish American War, quiting Congress in 1900 to enter private law practice. On a nostalgic trip to Washington in 1902 he had a sudden heart attack and died.
His body is interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Maine.
This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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