P. Frederick Rothermel

P. Frederick Rothermel in 1901

Peter Frederick Rothermel, Jr. (September 27, 1850 -May 26, 1929) was a Pennsylvania lawyer and politician. Rothermel was born in Philadelphia, the son of Peter F. Rothermel, a successful artist, and his wife, Caroline Goodhart. After attending various schools in Europe while his father was employed there, Rothermel graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia in 1867.^[1] Following his graduation, Rothermel clerked in the law office of James T. Mitchell, a prominent Philadelphia attorney who would later serve on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.^[1]

Legal career and family

Rothermel was admitted to the bar in 1871.^[2] For the next fifteen years, he found successful employment as a corporate attorney in Philadelphia representing many of that city's corporate titans, including John Wanamaker.^[1][2] In 1881, Rothermel married Josephine Bryant, the daughter of Walter Bryant, a coal baron and sister of Henry Grier Bryant, the explorer.^[2] The couple had one son, Peter F. Rothermel, III, born in 1883.^[2]

Political career

In 1884, Rothermel considered an attempt at election to City Solicitor, but later withdrew his candidacy. In 1898, Rothermel ran for District Attorney of Philadelphia as a Republican and was elected, defeating James M. Beck.^[2] The following year, Rothermel served as prosecutor in the corruption trial of Senator Matthew Quay.^[3] Quay was found innocent after an eleven-day trial.^[3]

After his term as District Attorney ended in 1901, Rothermel was refused renomination by the Republican machine politicians, owing to his prosecution of Quay. He was nominated by a group of reformers on a fusion ticket, but failed to be re-elected.^[4] Following his defeat, Rothermel resumed his successful corporate practice.^[2] He died on May 26, 1919 at his home on Rittenhouse Square.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Harrison, Mitchell C. (1902). Prominent and Progressive Americans: An Encyclopædia of Contemporaneous Biography. New York: New York Tribune. pp. 293–294. http://books.google.com/books?id=oUYDAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 2008-02-21. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "P.F. Rothermel, Noted Lawyer, Dead". The New York Times. 1929-05-26. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB091EFA345A127A93C4AB178ED85F4D8285F9. Retrieved 2008-02-21. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Quay Declared Innocent" (PDF). The New York Times. 1899-04-22. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D03E6DA1338E733A25751C2A9629C94689ED7CF. Retrieved 2008-02-21. 
4. ^ "Result in Pennsylvania" (PDF). The New York Times. 1901-11-07. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9505EFDE153DE433A25754C0A9679D946097D6CF. Retrieved 2008-02-21. 

Persondata
Name	Rothermel, P. Frederick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1850
Place of birth	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of death	1929
Place of death	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania