A. (Abram) Piatt Andrew, Jr.

Born February 12, 1873.

A native of La Porte, Indiana, Andrew had a
relatively nondescript childhood that in no way prefigured his busy and
influential life. A gifted student, he went on to Princeton, graduating in 1893,
then became a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
receiving a graduate degree in 1895, then a doctorate in 1900. Having relocated
to Massachusetts to study at Harvard, Andrew laid down roots, taking residence
in Gloucester and becoming an instructor and assistant professor of economics
at Harvard. A bachelor, he built himself an impressive mansion overlooking the
harbor with extensive grounds, which home he named “Red Roof” and served as a
place of comfort, peace, and companionship for him, particularly with his
neighbor, Henry Davis Sleeper, also a bachelor, and a widely respected interior
designer.

His
political career began in 1907, when Andrew published a paper, in January,
predicting the economic collapse that later followed in late autumn of the same
year. The country, looking to recover, realized some changes were necessary,
and picked Andrew to be among the economists invited to decide what those
changes would be, making up a body officially called the National Monetary
Commission. This body, led by Senator Nelson Aldrich, traveled over Europe to
study their banking conditions and to see how the United States compared in
practice, which, they quickly realized, compared badly. As part of this work,
Andrew took a leave from Harvard and traveled to the Universities of Halle,
Berlin, and Paris, studying the central banks of Britain, Germany, and France.
He also took on additional duties as Director of the Mint, appointed by the
President, in 1909 and 1910, then Assistant Secretary of the Treasury from 1910
through 1912. With other members of the Commission, he attended and contributed
greatly to the historic meeting at Jekyll Island, the report from which
recommended and served as a key instrument in the creation of the Federal
Banking Reserve, the primary tool by which the federal government can influence
and monitor the economy.

His
career, risen so fast, collapsed precipitously in 1912 as the Republicans lost
the White House to Wilson, resulting in Andrew losing his job. Casting about
for something to do, and with war on the horizon, Andrew arrived in France in
1914, determined to aid in the war effort. At first, he drove ambulances, but
his organizational skills, energy and intelligence were quickly realized, to
the effect that an entirely new position was created for him, that of Inspector
General of the American Ambulance Field Service. Touring the ambulance sections
in his new capacity, he found a corps largely dispirited and bored, kept by
French law from the front lines, and, they felt, true effectiveness. Determined
to be as effective as possible in the war effort, Andrew met with top French
military officials, convincing them to allow a small section of ambulances to
go to the front on a trial basis. The success was immediate and overwhelming,
with the French creating the American Ambulance Field Service, with Andrew as
head, under the command of the French Army. Back home, Sleeper organized
domestically, recruiting new drivers and raising funds. Eventually, as America
entered the war, it came under their leadership.

Andrew returned from the war an
effective veteran and reinvigorated with a sense of patriotic duty. As a
stalwart in the local Republican party, when his representative resigned,
Andrew ran for and was elected to fill the vacancy in 1921. He has remained since,
a key part of the Republican party, especially in terms of economics, as well
as a supporter of veterans causes.