Frederick Ferdinand Low

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. A member of the Republican Party representing California, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in Congress, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history.

Low was born in Frankfort (now Winterport), Maine, on June 30, 1828. He was educated in local schools and attended Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine, where he received a formal academic preparation typical of New England academies of the era. His early life in coastal Maine, a region oriented toward maritime commerce, provided a background that would later inform his entry into the shipping trade when he moved west during the era of rapid national expansion.

In 1849, amid the California Gold Rush, Low moved to California and settled in San Francisco, where he entered the shipping business. Taking advantage of the booming economy and growing commercial links between California and the rest of the world, he established himself in mercantile pursuits. By 1854 he had relocated to Marysville, California, an important commercial center for the northern mines, where he became a banker. He remained in banking in Marysville from 1854 to 1861, building a reputation in finance and business that helped launch his political career within the emerging Republican Party in California.

Low’s federal political career began with his election as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh Congress. He presented his credentials as a Member-elect to the U.S. House of Representatives but was not initially permitted to take his seat due to a contest over the validity of his election. After a special act of Congress resolved the matter, he was seated and served from June 3, 1862, to March 3, 1863. During this single term in office, he represented California in the House at the height of the Civil War, contributing to the legislative work of the Union government and reflecting the interests of a rapidly growing Pacific state in national deliberations.

In 1863, following his congressional service, Low was appointed collector of the Port of San Francisco, a key federal position overseeing customs and revenue at one of the nation’s most important harbors. Later that same year, he was elected the ninth governor of California. He served as governor from December 10, 1863, to December 5, 1867, becoming California’s last Civil War governor. During his administration, he resided and maintained his official office in the Leland Stanford Mansion, making him the second California governor to use that building as the executive residence, a practice that continued until the opening of the California State Capitol in 1869. His governorship was marked by significant developments in the state’s institutions and natural resources. Hallmarks of his administration included support for the establishment of what became Yosemite National Park and the founding of the University of California. Although the formal charter of the University was signed by his successor, Governor Henry H. Haight, Low was widely regarded as the “father of the University of California” for his role in promoting and shaping the legislation that led to its creation.

After leaving the governorship, Low was appointed United States Minister to China, serving from 1869 to 1874. In this diplomatic post he represented American interests in East Asia during a period of increasing international engagement and tension in the region. His tenure coincided with the Tianjin Massacre of 1870, a violent anti-foreign and anti-Christian incident in northern China. Low reported extensively on the event and its implications to the United States government, contributing to Washington’s understanding of Chinese internal affairs and the challenges facing Western diplomats and missionaries in the Qing Empire. His service in China reflected the broader expansion of U.S. diplomatic and commercial ties across the Pacific in the post–Civil War era.

In his later years, Low resided in San Francisco, remaining a prominent figure in California’s civic and political life. He died in San Francisco on July 21, 1894. His remains were interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California, a cemetery that became the resting place for many of the state’s leading political and business figures of the nineteenth century.