Representative Norman Judd Gould

Norman Judd Gould (March 15, 1877 – August 20, 1964) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York who served four terms in Congress between 1915 and 1923. He was born in Seneca Falls, New York, into a family with an established political legacy. His grandfather, Norman B. Judd, had served in Congress and was noted for nominating Abraham Lincoln for President at the 1860 Republican National Convention, a connection that situated Gould within a tradition of Republican Party leadership from an early age.

Gould pursued higher education at Cornell University, from which he graduated in 1899. During his time at Cornell he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society, an honorary senior society that drew students recognized for leadership and achievement. His education and collegiate affiliations helped prepare him for a career that combined business, party organization, and elective office, and positioned him within influential social and political networks in New York State.

Before entering Congress, Gould became active in Republican Party affairs at the local and state levels. He served as chairman of the Seneca County Republican committee from 1912 until 1923, a role in which he helped direct party strategy and organization over more than a decade. He was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1908 and 1916, participating in the selection of the party’s presidential nominees. In 1920 he further expanded his role in national politics by serving as the eastern manager for General Leonard Wood’s presidential campaign, reflecting his prominence within the party and his engagement in national Republican politics.

Gould’s congressional career began when he was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Sereno E. Payne. He took his seat on November 2, 1915, representing a New York district in the House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, Norman Judd Gould contributed to the legislative process during four terms in office, serving continuously from November 2, 1915, until March 3, 1923. His tenure in Congress coincided with a significant period in American history, encompassing World War I and the early postwar years, during which he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New York constituents in national deliberations.

After leaving Congress in 1923, Gould’s formal role in elective office concluded, but his long service as chairman of the Seneca County Republican committee through that same year underscored his continued influence in local and regional politics. He remained identified with the Republican Party and with the civic and political life of upstate New York, drawing on the experience and connections developed over his years in public service.

Norman Judd Gould died on August 20, 1964, in Geneva, New York. His life and career reflected both his family’s political heritage and his own contributions as a party leader and four-term Republican representative from New York during a transformative era in the nation’s history.