Representative Clark Burdick

Clark Burdick (January 13, 1868 – August 27, 1948) was an American lawyer, businessman, and Republican politician who served seven consecutive terms as a U.S. Representative from Rhode Island from 1919 to 1933. Over the course of his public career, he held a wide range of municipal and state offices in Rhode Island before representing his constituents in Congress during a transformative period in American history.

Burdick was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on January 13, 1868, and was educated in the Newport public schools. After completing his early education, he pursued legal studies and enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he was a student from 1893 to 1895. While still in law school, he was admitted to the bar in 1894 and soon thereafter commenced the practice of law in his native city of Newport, establishing himself in the legal profession at the close of the nineteenth century.

Alongside his legal work, Burdick developed significant business interests, particularly in banking. He became associated with the Newport Trust Company and eventually served as its president, reflecting his prominence in local financial circles. His early public service also included military involvement; in 1896 and 1897 he served as a member of the First Division, Rhode Island Naval Militia, contributing to the state’s naval defense organization during the pre–Spanish-American War era.

Burdick’s formal political career began at the local level. He served as a member of the Newport city school board from 1899 to 1901, participating in the oversight of public education in the city. He was appointed city solicitor of Newport in 1901 and 1902, and again in 1907 and 1908, advising the municipality on legal matters. Expanding his role in local governance, he served as a member of the Newport representative council from 1906 to 1916, acting as chairman during his tenure and helping to shape municipal policy over a decade of service.

At the state level, Burdick was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives, where he served from 1906 to 1908. He later advanced to the Rhode Island State Senate, serving there in 1915 and 1916. His growing influence within the Republican Party was reflected in his selection as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1912. In recognition of services rendered to representatives of the Emperor of Japan in 1917, he was awarded the Third Class Order of the Sacred Treasury of Japan, an honor that underscored his involvement in international and diplomatic matters. That same period marked the peak of his local executive authority when he served as mayor of Newport in 1917 and 1918.

Burdick entered national politics when he was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-sixth Congress and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1919, to March 3, 1933. During these seven terms, he represented Rhode Island in the House of Representatives and participated in the legislative process through the post–World War I era, the Roaring Twenties, and the onset of the Great Depression. As a member of the Republican Party, he took part in the democratic process at the federal level and worked to represent the interests of his Rhode Island constituents in Congress. His long tenure reflected sustained electoral support, but he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress, ending his congressional service at the conclusion of his seventh term.

After leaving Congress, Burdick returned to Newport and reengaged in the practice of law, resuming his legal career in the community where he had first been admitted to the bar. He also continued his involvement in banking and maintained his business interests, particularly through his ongoing association with the Newport Trust Company. He remained active in professional and civic life in Newport until his death.

Clark Burdick died in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 27, 1948. He was interred in St. Mary’s Episcopal Cemetery in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. His career, spanning local, state, and national office, reflected a lifetime of public service rooted in his native state and extending to the national legislative arena.