Frank M. Rood Biography


	This biography appears on pages 920-921 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRANK M. ROOD. 

	High honors have come to Frank M. Rood in connection with the 
official direction of the interests of the commonwealth. He is now 
filling the position of secretary of state, having entered upon the 
duties of this position in January, 1915. Accordingly, he makes his 
home in Pierre but has business interests elsewhere. He was born at 
Lenoxville, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, October 13, 1856. His 
father, John T. Rood, who was born in Massachusetts and was a 
representative of one of the old colonial families of that state, was a 
teacher and farmer. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Ruby 
Rogers, was a native of Pennsylvania and both parents are now deceased. 

	In their family were six children, of whom Frank M. Rood was the 
second in order of birth. He acquired a public-school education and 
afterward attended Wyoming Seminary, while subsequently he pursued a 
business course in a commercial college at Kingston, Pennsylvania. When 
his school days were over he turned his attention to the lumber 
business at Lenoxville, Pennsylvania, and continued therein for two 
years but the opportunities of the northwest attracted him and in 1877 
he settled in Deadwood, Dakota territory. There through the succeeding 
year he conducted a lumber business and the following year he removed 
to Whitewood, where he took up a claim, remaining in that locality for 
a year. He next went to Fort Meade, where he became owner of a ranch 
and engaged in the raising of live stock. In 1893 he removed to Stanley 
county, where he continued in the stock business until 1906, when he 
disposed of his interests in stock and land there. It was in that year 
that he was elected to represent his district, comprising Stanley and 
Lyman counties in the state legislature. He afterwards spent a year in 
Canada and on the Pacific coast and in 1908 he returned to South 
Dakota, settling at Philip, where he became interested in the 
mercantile business and in real-estate. He still has his holdings of 
that character and the capable supervision of his business interests is 
manifest in the success which is attending him. He has placed his 
business upon a safe basis and is deriving therefrom a gratifying 
annual income. In addition to his other interests he is a director of 
the Bank of Philip. 

	Mr. Rood was married May 28, 1886, to Miss Eva J. Voorhees, a 
daughter of Abraham and Jane (Elliott) Voorhees, the former a native of 
New York state, and the latter a native of Paisley, Scotland. Mrs. 
Voorhees came to America in her girlhood days and was reared and 
educated at Irvington, New Jersey. Mrs. Rood was born in Newark, New 
Jersey. By her marriage she has become the mother of one daughter, 
Hazel W. 

	Mr. Rood is a member of Philip Lodge, No. 150, A. F. & A. M.; 
Oriental Consistory, No. 1, A. A. S. R. of Yankton; and Naja Temple, A. 
A. O. N. M. S., of Deadwood. 

	In his political views he has always been a republican since age 
conferred upon him the right of franchise He was born in the year in 
which the party became a national organization and he has never wavered 
in his allegiance thereto since he cast his first presidential ballot. 
He could not be said to be a politician in the usually sense of office 
seeking but in 1914 his fitness for office and his well known fidelity 
in citizenship led to his selection for the position of secretary of 
state. He assumed the duties of the office in January, 1915. He is now 
directing the important affairs of that position and capably meeting 
the duties and responsibilities that devolve upon him and he ranks with 
the state's successful and prominent pioneer citizens and capable 
public officials.