The New Student's Reference Work/Aldrich, Nelson Wilmarth

Aldrich (awl′drĭch), Nelson Wilmarth, U. S. Senator (Republican) from Rhode Island, born at Foster, R. I. For six years he was a member of the Providence Common Council, in two of which he acted as president. In 1875 he was a member of the Rhode Island General Assembly and in the latter was elected speaker of the state House of Representatives. In 1878 he was returned to the Federal Congress and in 1880 was re-elected, but in the following year resigned to take a seat in the Senate. He was successively elected to the Senate (in the years 1886, 1892 and 1905), and became one of the most forceful and efficient members of that body. He had charge of the tariff bill passed in 1909. He was also chairman of the commission appointed to revise the monetary system of the country.