Representative Francis Marion Griffith

Francis Marion Griffith (August 21, 1849 – February 8, 1927) was an American educator, lawyer, and Democratic politician who served four terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1897 to 1905. His congressional service, spanning the Fifty-fifth through Fifty-eighth Congresses, took place during a significant period in American history, and he participated actively in the legislative process while representing the interests of his Indiana constituents.

Griffith was born on August 21, 1849, in Moorefield, Switzerland County, Indiana. He attended the country schools of the county and later the high school in Vevay, Indiana. Pursuing further education, he enrolled at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana. His early professional life was rooted in education; he taught school in his native region and, in 1873, was appointed school superintendent of Switzerland County, reflecting an early commitment to public service and local educational administration.

While engaged in educational work, Griffith studied law and prepared for a legal career. He was admitted to the bar in 1875 and commenced the practice of law in Vevay, Indiana. That same year he entered local public office as county treasurer of Switzerland County, serving from 1875 to 1877. His growing prominence in Democratic Party circles led to his selection as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1880, marking his emergence on the broader state and national political stage.

Griffith’s state-level political career advanced when he was elected to the Indiana State Senate, in which he served from 1886 to 1894. During this period he also held the position of Acting Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1891 to 1894, presiding over the state senate and assuming duties associated with the lieutenant governorship. In 1894 he sought statewide office as the Democratic candidate for attorney general of Indiana but was unsuccessful in that campaign. Nonetheless, his legislative experience and party service positioned him for subsequent election to the national legislature.

Griffith entered the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat in the Fifty-fifth Congress, having been elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative William S. Holman. He was subsequently reelected to the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, and Fifty-eighth Congresses, serving continuously from December 6, 1897, to March 3, 1905. Over these four terms in office, he contributed to the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, participating in debates and votes during a transformative era that included issues of industrial expansion, monetary policy, and the nation’s growing international role. A member of the Democratic Party throughout his congressional career, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1904, thereby concluding his service in Congress at the end of his fourth term.

After leaving Congress, Griffith returned to Vevay and resumed the practice of law. He remained active in local public affairs and served as city attorney of Vevay from 1912 to 1916. In 1916 he was elected judge of the circuit court of the fifth judicial district of Indiana, a position he held until 1922. Following his judicial service, he again engaged in the private practice of law, continuing his long association with the legal profession and public life in Switzerland County.

Francis Marion Griffith died in Vevay, Indiana, on February 8, 1927. He was interred in Vevay Cemetery. His career encompassed roles as educator, county official, state legislator, acting lieutenant governor, member of Congress, city attorney, and circuit court judge, reflecting a lifetime of service to his community, his state, and the nation.