Howe, Frederic C.

Frederic C. Howe (1867–1940) was a Progressive Era reformer whose varied career is recounted in his autobiography. Howe obtained a Ph.D. in 1892 from Johns Hopkins University, where his favorite professor was future President Woodrow Wilson. After a stint as a journalist in New York City, Howe turned to law and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There, he became a player in the political reform movement marked by the mayoral tenure of Tom L. Johnson (1901–1909).

Howe was elected as a Republican to the Cleveland City Council but switched his allegiance to Johnson's Democratic Party because of Johnson's opposition to [Page 365]political corruption. While Howe lost his bid for reelection, he was later elected a state senator and was a steadfast ally of Johnson in the latter's battle against the economic and political dominance of Senator Mark Hanna's Republican Party. Hanna repeatedly thwarted Johnson's efforts to create a publicly owned street railway company to offset the monopolistic practices of the private companies holding municipal franchises. Among his successes, Howe considered his service on the tax commission, which led to a more equitable reassessment of the city's property taxes in 1910. Howe was also an influential figure in the effort of the Johnson administration and civic leaders to redevelop downtown Cleveland. An admirer of European cities and their planning, Howe supported the Group Plan developed by a committee led by architect Daniel Burnham, which transformed a key downtown area.

With Johnson's defeat in 1909 and death in 1911, Howe left Cleveland to return to New York City. There, he headed the People's Institute, a public civic forum housed at the Cooper Union, from 1911 to 1914. Howe next became the commissioner of immigration at Ellis Island through 1919, serving the Wilson administration. However, he became disillusioned with its repressive policies after the U.S. entry into World War I. After attending the Versailles peace conference, Howe withdrew to a largely private life. He was politically active for a while with the Conference on Progressive Political Activity organized by railroad unions in 1922, which supported the unsuccessful 1924 presidential bid of Progressive Robert M. La Follette.

With the election of Franklin Roosevelt and the implementation of his New Deal to fight the Great Depression, Howe joined the Agricultural Adjustment Administration as consumer counsel. However, the interests of farmers were favored over those of their urban consumers, and Howe left in 1937. He died in 1940, having lived through the Progressive Era, the conservative 1920s, and the liberal New Deal.

Howe is best known for his writings. His 1905 book, The City: The Hope of Democracy, was influenced by the ideas of land tax reformer Henry George, whose ideas also inspired Cleveland Mayor Johnson. In 1925, Howe wrote his autobiography, The Confessions of a Reformer, which recounted his transformation into and experiences as a Progressive reformer.