Boies Penrose

US senator, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. After graduating from Harvard (1881), he published a scholarly text, The City Government of Philadelphia (1887). He then turned to politics, and, although a member of a prosperous upper-class Philadelphia family, he proved to be as tough as any boss, running the Pennsylvania Republican machine from 1904 until his death. As a member of the US Senate (Republican, Pennsylvania, 1897–1921), he was ineffective as a Speaker, but was good at conferences and committee work. A conservative, he favoured high tariffs and opposed women's suffrage and progressive policies in general.

Boies Penrose (November 1, 1860 – December 31, 1921) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1897 until his death in 1921.

Born into a prominent Philadelphia family, he was brother to Spencer Penrose, who in 1918 would build the elegant Broadmoor Hotel at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Boise Penrose graduated from Harvard with a law degree in 1881, and was accepted into the Pennsylvania bar association in 1883. He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1884 and served until 1886 when he was elected to the State Senate, where he served as president pro tempore from 1889 to 1891.

Penrose stepped down from his position as a State Senator in 1897 to take office as a United State Senator. Penrose was a dominant member of the Senate Finance Committee and supported high protective tariffs. Penrose was elected the Republican leader of Pennsylvania upon Quay's death in 1904, and was reelected to this position in 1908. Penrose died in Washington, D.C.

Senator Penrose was an avid outdoorsman and took pleasure in mountain exploration and big-game hunting. (Bill) Manson, was that the senator was a large man (overweight) and they had to shop all over the place to get a horse big enough to fit him and his custom saddle. -- Boies Penrose

"I believe in the division of labor. -- Senator Boies Penrose (R-Pa.), 1896, citing the relationship between his politics and big business.