William Emerson Barrett
William Emerson Barrett (December 29, 1858 – February 12, 1906) was an American journalist and politician from Massachusetts. Born in Melrose, he graduated from Dartmouth College in 1880 and began his journalism career with the St. Albans Daily Messenger, then worked for The Boston Daily Advertiser. He served as Washington correspondent from 1882 to 1886, later becoming editor in chief and then chief proprietor and manager of The Boston Daily Advertiser and The Boston Evening Record; he helped found The Boston Evening Record.
Barrett served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1887 to 1892 and was speaker from 1889 to 1894. He was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Congress, representing Massachusetts's 7th district, serving from 1895 to 1899. He chose not to run again in 1898 and returned to running his newspapers. He also served as president of the Union Trust Co. of Boston.
He married Annie Louise Bailey in 1887, and they had four children: William Emerson Barrett, Florence, Ruth, and Constance. Barrett died of pneumonia in West Newton, Massachusetts, in 1906 and is buried in Newton Cemetery.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:58 (CET).