Bert M. Fernald

Bert Manfred Fernald
47th Governor of Maine
In office January 6, 1909 – January 4, 1911
Preceded by	William T. Cobb
Succeeded by	Frederick W. Plaisted
United States Senator from Maine
In office September 12, 1916 – August 23, 1926
Preceded by	Edwin C. Burleigh
Succeeded by	Arthur R. Gould
Member of the Maine Senate
In office 1898-1902
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
In office 1896-1898
Personal details
Born	(1858-04-03)April 3, 1858 Poland, Maine
Died	August 23, 1926(1926-08-23) (aged 68) Poland, Maine
Political party	Republican
Religion	Universalist

Bert Manfred Fernald (April 3, 1858 – August 23, 1926) was a United States Senator and the 47th Governor of Maine. He was chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds for three terms.

Biography

Fernald was born on April 3, 1858 in West Poland, Maine. He attended the public schools, Hebron Academy and a business and preparatory school in Boston. He then taught school (and was elected supervisor of schools in 1878), and then engaged in the canning, dairy, and telephone businesses. He was elected to the Maine House of Representatives and served 1896 to 1898 where his tenure was marked by his fine singing voice, and then 1898 to 1902 in the Maine Senate. He served as a Governor of Maine from 1909 until 1911. In 1910 he was elected president of the National Canners Association. In 1916 he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate by defeating Kenneth Sills who was the Dean of Bowdoin College to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Edwin C. Burleigh. He was reelected in 1918 and 1924 and served from September 12, 1916, until his death. He died in West Poland, Maine on August 23, 1926.

Legacy

The Fernald family farm is still in existence. Its white barn has the name Fernald Family Farm in black visible from the road.

In 1909, Fernald was a speaker at the annual meeting, in Portland, of the "New England Fat Men's Association", all of whose members had to weigh at least 201 pounds.^[1]

References

• United States Congress. "Bert M. Fernald (id: F000084)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 

Governors of Maine
W. King Williamson Ames Rose Parris Lincoln Cutler Hall Hunton Smith Dunlap Kent Fairfield Vose Kent Fairfield Kavanagh Dunn Anderson Dana Hubbard Crosby A. Morrill Wells Hamlin Williams L. Morrill Washburn Coburn Cony Chamberlain Perham Dingley Connor Garcelon Davis Plaisted Robie Bodwell Marble Burleigh Cleaves Powers Hill Cobb Fernald F. Plaisted Haines O. Curtis Milliken Parkhurst Baxter Brewster Gardiner Brann Barrows Sewall Hildreth Payne Cross N. Haskell Cross Muskie R. Haskell Clauson Reed K. Curtis Longley Brennan McKernan A. King Baldacci LePage

United States Senators from Maine
Class 1	Holmes Parris Holmes Shepley Dana Williams Fairfield Moor Hamlin Nourse Hamlin Morrill Hamlin E. Hale Johnson F. Hale Brewster Payne Muskie Mitchell Snowe King
Class 2	Chandler Sprague Ruggles Evans Bradbury Fessenden Farwell Fessenden Morrill Blaine Frye Gardner Burleigh Fernald Gould White Smith Hathaway Cohen Collins

Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Public Buildings (1838–1857)	Fulton Kerr Dayton Cameron Bright Hunter Whitcomb James Bayard
Public Buildings and Grounds (1857–1947)	Bright Foot Brown Fessenden Morrill Dawes Jones Rollins Mahone Stanford Vest Quay Fairbanks Warren Scott Sutherland Swanson Reed Fernald Lenroot Keyes Connally Maloney Andrews
Public Works (1947–1977)	Revercomb Chávez Martin Chávez McNamara Randolph
Environment and Public Works (1977–)	Randolph Stafford Burdick Moynihan Baucus Chafee Smith Reid Smith Jeffords Inhofe Boxer Inhofe