Abram William Foote (October 24, 1862 – May 14, 1941) was a Vermont businessman and politician. He served as the 53rd lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1921 to 1923.
Early life Abram William Foote was born in Cornwall, Vermont, on October 24, 1862.Vermont Legislative Directory, published by Vermont Secretary of State, 1917, page 507 He was educated in Middlebury, and went to Middlebury Union High School.
Business career Foote was a farmer and businessman, with interests in banking, insurance and other companies. He organized the Cornwall Telephone Company and built the first line from Addison County to Burlington, a venture he later sold to New England Telephone. In 1908, he organized the Rutland County Telephone Company, of which he served as General Manager.Who's Who in New England, published by A. N. Marquis, Chicago, Volume 1, 1909, page 374Encyclopedia of Vermont Biography, edited by Prentiss Cutler Dodge, 1912, pages 193 to 194
Political career
A Republican, he served in several local offices in Cornwall and was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1900 to 1902. Foote was elected Addison County Assistant Judge in 1902, and reelected in 1904. He again won election to the Vermont House in 1914, serving one term. Foote won election to the Vermont Senate in 1916, serving from 1917 to 1919. In 1920, he was elected Lieutenant Governor and served from 1921 to 1923.Vermont: The Green Mountain State, by Walter Hill Crockett, Volume 4, 1921, page 548, published by Office of the Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, 2011, page 1Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly], 1905, page 476
In 1922, Foote ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor, losing to Redfield Proctor Jr., published by Office of the Vermont Secretary of State, Vermont State Archives, June 9, 2006, page 1Newspaper article, Proctor Wins in Vermont, Indianapolis Star, September 14, 1922 Foote served in the Vermont House of Representatives again from 1931 to 1933.Who's Who Among Association Executives, Institute for Research in Biography, Inc., 1935, page 174
Foote was a delegate to the 1928 Republican National Convention.
Death and legacy Foote died in Middlebury, Vermont on May 14, 1941, and was buried in West Cornwall's Evergreen Cemetery.Obituary, Abram W. Foote, The New York Times, May 15, 1941 He was the grandfather of Ralph A. Foote, who served as Lieutenant Governor from 1961 to 1965.Newspaper article, Miss Judith E. Foote Becomes Bride of William G. Hermann, Bennington Banner, July 31, 1956
Published works The Foote Family, Comprising The Genealogy and History of Nathaniel Foote Of Weathersfield, Conn. And His Descendants, Marble City Press, The Tuttle Co., Volume 1, 1907
References