Richard S. Aldrich
A scion of Rhode Island's political dynasty who served as a steadfast Republican congressman during the transformative New Deal era.
1884–1941 (age 57)·American politician·Birthday: February 29·The Lost Generation
Biography
Richard Steere Aldrich was a figure woven into the very fabric of Rhode Island's establishment, continuing a family legacy of public service that stretched back to the state's founding. A lawyer by training, he moved methodically through the state's political ranks, from the House of Representatives to the State Senate, cultivating a reputation as a reliable and thoughtful conservative voice. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1922, he served for nearly two decades, a period dominated by the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Aldrich operated as a loyal opposition member, often voting against expansive federal programs while tending to the specific needs of his district. His career was less about flashy headlines and more about the steady, behind-the-scenes work of representation, upholding the interests of his state within a rapidly changing national political landscape.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Richard was born in 1884, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1884
Richard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1884Born
President: Chester A. Arthur
1889Started school
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1897Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1900Could drive
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1902Could vote
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Turned 21
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 30
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 40
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 50
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1941Died at 57
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
Key Achievements
- Served as a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district for ten consecutive terms, from 1923 to 1933 and again from 1935 to 1941.
- Was a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee during his tenure in Congress.
- Previously served in both the Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Rhode Island State Senate.
- Was part of the politically prominent Aldrich family, with his father, Nelson W. Aldrich, being a long-serving U.S. Senator.
Did You Know?
He was the son of Nelson W. Aldrich, a powerful U.S. Senator known as the 'general manager of the United States'.
His nephew, Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, would become Vice President of the United States.
He graduated from Harvard Law School and practiced law before entering politics.
He lost his congressional seat in the 1932 Democratic landslide but won it back two years later.
“Public office is a trust, not a personal possession.”
