Representative Perkins Bass

Perkins Bass (October 6, 1912 – October 25, 2011) was an American elected official from the state of New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party, best known for his four terms as a United States Representative from 1955 to 1963. Over the course of a long public career, he served in local, state, and national office and participated in significant legislative developments of the mid-twentieth century.

Bass was born on October 6, 1912, in East Walpole, Massachusetts. He was the eldest son of Robert P. Bass, who served as governor of New Hampshire from 1911 to 1913, and Edith B. Bass, who was First Lady of New Hampshire during that period. Raised in a politically active family with deep roots in New England public life, he was exposed early to civic affairs and Republican Party politics, influences that shaped his later career in elective office.

Bass attended Milton Academy in Massachusetts before enrolling at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1934 and subsequently studied law at Harvard Law School. After completing his legal education, he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law, establishing himself professionally before entering military and broader public service.

During World War II, Bass served in the United States Army Air Forces in Asia, contributing to the American war effort in the Pacific theater. His military service complemented an already active engagement in state politics. He was first elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1939, and was reelected in 1941, 1947, and 1951, each time to a two-year term. In addition, he served in the New Hampshire State Senate, winning election to a two-year term in 1949. Through these legislative roles, he gained experience in lawmaking and constituent representation at the state level.

Bass was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from New Hampshire and served four consecutive terms in Congress from 1955 to 1963. His service in the House of Representatives occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the early Cold War, the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations, and the emerging modern civil rights movement. As a member of the House, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New Hampshire constituents in national legislative debates. Bass voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Civil Rights Act of 1960, reflecting support for incremental federal action on voting rights and civil rights enforcement. He voted “present” on the proposed 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which ultimately abolished the poll tax in federal elections, indicating a more cautious stance on that particular constitutional change.

After completing his fourth term in the House in 1963, Bass sought higher office. In 1962, he ran in a special election for the United States Senate from New Hampshire. He won the Republican primary, defeating interim Senator Maurice J. Murphy Jr., Doloris Bridges, and Congressman Chester Merrow, but was defeated in the general election by Democrat Thomas J. McIntyre. This Senate race effectively ended his career in federal elective office, but he remained active in public affairs.

In later years, Bass continued his involvement in local government. From 1972 to 1976, he served as a selectman of Peterborough, New Hampshire, reflecting his continued commitment to public service at the community level. He lived in Peterborough for many years and remained a respected figure in New Hampshire political circles. His family’s tradition of public service continued through his son, Charles Bass, who later served as U.S. Representative from New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district.

Perkins Bass died in Peterborough, New Hampshire, on October 25, 2011, at the age of 99. His long life spanned nearly a century of American political history, during which he held multiple offices at the state and federal levels and contributed to the legislative process during his four terms in the United States Congress.