Frederick T. Frelinghuysen

Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, born on August fourth, eighteen seventeen, in Millstone, New Jersey, was a prominent American lawyer and politician. After the death of his father, he was adopted by his uncle, Theodore Frelinghuysen, who played a significant role in his upbringing. Frederick graduated from Rutgers College and pursued a legal career under his uncle's guidance, which laid the foundation for his future in politics.

Frelinghuysen's political journey began with his involvement as a delegate to the eighteen sixty Republican National Convention. He served as the Attorney General of New Jersey and was later appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His political acumen led to his nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom in eighteen seventy, a position he ultimately declined.

From eighteen seventy-one to eighteen seventy-seven, he served again as a U.S. Senator. His most notable appointment came in eighteen eighty-one when President Chester A. Arthur named him as the United States Secretary of State, a role he held until eighteen eighty-five. During his tenure, he made significant contributions, including withdrawing the U.S. from the War of the Pacific and negotiating a treaty change with Hawaii that facilitated the establishment of a naval base at Pearl Harbor.

After his service as Secretary of State, Frelinghuysen returned to Newark, New Jersey, where he passed away less than three months later. He married Matilda Elizabeth Griswold in eighteen forty-two, and together they had six children. In recognition of his contributions, Frelinghuysen University in Washington, D.C., was named in his honor in nineteen seventeen.