Cuno Hugo Rudolph (1860-1932) was a Washington, D.C. politician who served as the 10th and 14th president of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, from 1910 to 1913 and again from 1921 to 1926. He was the only person to hold this office for two, non-consecutive periods.
Cuno Hugo Rudolph | |
|---|---|
 Cuno H. Rudolph during his 2nd term | |
| 10th President of the Board of Commissioners of Washington, D.C. | |
| In office January 24, 1910 – February 28, 1913 | |
| President | William Howard Taft |
| Preceded by | Henry Brown Floyd MacFarland |
| Succeeded by | Oliver Peck Newman |
| 14th President of the Board of Commissioners of Washington, D.C. | |
| In office March 15, 1921 – December 4, 1926 | |
| President | Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge |
| Preceded by | John Thilman Hendrick |
| Succeeded by | Proctor L. Dougherty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 26, 1860 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1932 (aged 71) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Lorraine Park Cemetery Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Amy Edna Merz Rudolph
(m. 1901) |
| Alma mater | Stadtler Business College Bryant & Stratton College[2] |
| Profession |
|
Early life
editRudolph, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Yerger Rudolph, was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1860 where he attended private schools and business colleges. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1899 and become engaged in the hardware business, and served as the president of the hardware firm Rudolph and West until 1906. Rudolph married Amy Edna Merz (1868-1951) on June 8, 1901, and the couple had no children.[3]
Rudolph expanded his business into bricks and banking and became active in politics as a Republican.
Career
editIn 1901, as chairman of the Associated Charities' Public Playground Committee, he opened the first public playground in the District of Columbia, and he remained active in playgrounds in the District for years. He served on inaugural committees and led the George Washington Bicentennial efforts in DC until poor health forced him to resign. He was on the board of trustees at Howard University, served as chairman of the Board of the Children's Hospital and organized the first Mother's Day celebration in DC in 1911.[3] He was a vice president of the Washington D.C. Board of Trade, and was the director of the Washington D.C., Chamber of Commerce.
He was first appointed to the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners in 1910 by President Howard Taft and quickly elected the Board's president, a role he filled until he resigned in March 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated. He then back to banking, service as vice-president of the Second National Bank of Washington until President Harding again appointed him to the Board of Commissioners, and again elected its president. He was reappointed by President Coolidge and continued to serve until 1926 when he resigned again due to poor health.
Death and honors
editRudolph died in 1932, at his home in the Dresden Apartments on Connecticut Avenue. After a service in DC, he was buried at Lorraine Park Cemetery in Baltimore.
The Cuno H. Rudolph Elementary School building, now home to Washington Latin Public Charter School, was named in his honor in 1940.
References
edit- ^ "Cuno Hugo Rudolph". Find a Grave. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ Osterdahl, Andy. "Cuno Hugo Rudolph (1860-1932)". The Strangest Names In American Political History. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ a b "C.H. RUDOLPH DIES IN HOME HERE AT 71". The Washington Post. 7 January 1932.
External links
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