Thomas B. Reed

Thomas Brackett Reed (October 18, 1839 — December 7, 1902) was an American politician from the state of Maine. A member of the Republican Party, Reed rose from regional roots in the Maine state government, first as a member of the Maine House of Representatives and Senate, then as Attorney General of the state. Eventually Reed would be elected to represent Maine's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1877 to 1897. During his tenure as Representative he also served as the 32nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, first from 1889-1891, then from 1895-1897. Reed's political career hit its zenith when he was elected to the Presidency in the 1900 presidential election, defeating former president William Jennings Bryan in an upset victory.