Senator Frank Obadiah Briggs - Contact Information

Frank Obadiah Briggs (August 12, 1851 – May 8, 1913) was an American businessman and Republican politician who served as Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, from 1899 to 1902 and as a United States senator from New Jersey from 1907 to 1913. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and as a member of the Senate he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents during one full term in office.

Briggs was born on August 12, 1851, in Concord, New Hampshire, the son of James Frankland Briggs and Roxanna (Smith) Briggs. He attended the public schools of Concord and pursued further preparatory studies at Francestown Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Demonstrating an early aptitude for disciplined study and public service, he secured an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1872.

Upon graduation, Briggs entered the United States Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 2nd Infantry Regiment. He served on active duty from 1872 until 1877, when he resigned his commission. Later in 1877, he moved to Trenton, New Jersey, where he embarked on a civilian career in business, engaging in the manufacture of wire and wire products. His growing prominence in Trenton’s commercial life provided a foundation for his subsequent involvement in local public affairs.

Briggs’s public career began at the municipal and educational levels. He served as a member of the Trenton School Board from 1884 to 1892, helping to oversee the city’s public education system during a period of urban and industrial growth. He later became a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education in 1901 and 1902, extending his influence on educational policy to the state level. Concurrently, he rose in municipal politics and was elected Mayor of Trenton, serving from 1899 to 1902. His tenure as mayor coincided with the city’s continued development as an industrial center, and he played a role in managing its civic and infrastructural needs.

Briggs also held important fiscal and party leadership positions in New Jersey state government. From 1902 to 1907 he served as New Jersey State Treasurer, overseeing the financial affairs of the state. Within the Republican Party, he became a key figure, serving as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee from 1904 to 1907 and again from 1910 until his death in 1913. In these roles he helped direct party strategy, candidate selection, and campaign organization during an era of intense political competition and reform.

A member of the Republican Party, Briggs was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate from New Jersey, serving from March 4, 1907, to March 3, 1913. During his one term in office he contributed to the legislative process and participated actively in the work of the Senate. He served as chairman of the Committee on Geological Survey during the Sixty-first Congress and was a member of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expense during the Sixty-second Congress. His senatorial service placed him at the center of national debates in the years immediately preceding the First World War. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1913.

After leaving the Senate, Briggs resumed his former business pursuits in Trenton, returning to the manufacture of wire and wire products while continuing to serve as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee. He died in Trenton on May 8, 1913, at the age of 61. Frank Obadiah Briggs was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, New Jersey.