Eugene Elliott Reed

Eugene Elliott Reed (April 23, 1866 – December 15, 1940) was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire and a prominent Democratic politician and businessman whose career spanned municipal government, national politics, and federal administrative service. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, he attended the public schools of that city and also received instruction from private tutors. In his early years he studied law, but he ultimately turned to the construction contracting business, in which he became active as a director and officer of numerous corporations in New England and New York, establishing himself in regional commercial and industrial circles before entering public life.

Reed’s political career began at the local level in Manchester. He served as an alderman from 1899 to 1903, gaining experience in municipal governance and city administration at a time when Manchester was growing as an industrial center. Building on this local prominence, he was elected mayor of Manchester in 1902 and was subsequently reelected in 1904, 1906, and 1908, serving continuously as mayor from 1903 to 1911. During these years he became one of the leading Democratic figures in New Hampshire, combining his business background with an active role in civic affairs and party organization.

Beyond municipal office, Reed was deeply involved in Democratic Party politics at both the state and national levels. He served as a Democratic National and State committeeman for twelve years, reflecting his sustained influence within the party. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1908, 1912, 1916, and 1924, participating in the nomination of presidential candidates and the shaping of party platforms during a period of significant political realignment in the United States. His growing stature in the party led him to seek national office, and although he was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Sixty-second Congress in 1910, he remained an active and visible Democratic leader in New Hampshire.

Reed was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-third Congress, serving a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1915. Representing New Hampshire in Congress during a significant period in American history, he contributed to the legislative process as part of the Democratic majority under President Woodrow Wilson, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. His term coincided with major national debates over tariff reform, banking and currency legislation, and the early stages of the Wilson administration’s domestic program. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress, bringing his formal congressional service to a close after one term.

Following his service in Congress, Reed continued his public career in federal and international roles. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson appointed him to the Philippine Commission, where he served as secretary of commerce and police in the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands. In that capacity he played a key role in administrative and economic matters under American colonial rule. He negotiated the purchase of the Manila Railroad Company and, in January 1917, became the first American president of the company under Philippine ownership. Reed served as president and chairman of the board of directors for approximately one year before resigning from those posts, and he returned to the United States in 1918.

Back in New Hampshire and national politics, Reed sought higher office as the Democratic candidate for United States Senator in 1918 but was unsuccessful. He then turned again to private enterprise, engaging in the general export business in New York from 1919 to 1922. Maintaining his ties to New Hampshire, he served as vice president of the United Life & Accident Insurance Company in Concord from 1922 to 1931, further extending his experience in corporate management and finance while remaining a recognized figure in state Democratic circles.

During the New Deal era, Reed reentered public service in a series of federal and state administrative positions. He served as the National Recovery Administration director for New Hampshire in 1933 and 1934, helping to implement federal economic recovery programs in the state during the Great Depression. From 1934 to 1939 he was State Director of both the National Emergency Council and the Federal Housing Agency, coordinating relief, public works, and housing initiatives. He was a member of the New Hampshire Emergency Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee in 1936 and served on the New Hampshire Disaster Relief Committee in 1938, contributing to the state’s response to natural disasters and infrastructure damage. In the final phase of his public career, he was regional director for New England in the Office of Government Reports in 1939 and 1940, overseeing the collection and dissemination of information on federal activities in the region.

Eugene Elliott Reed died in his native city of Manchester, New Hampshire, on December 15, 1940. He was interred in Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester. His life reflected a long trajectory of service that ranged from local government and national legislative office to colonial administration in the Philippines and extensive involvement in New Deal–era federal and state programs.