Robert E. De Forest

Biography

Robert Elliott De Forest was born in Guilford, Connecticut, and after reading the law he became a respected counselor in Bridgeport. He devoted himself to municipal and state affairs, serving on city boards and in the Connecticut legislature before stepping onto the national stage.

In Congress he represented Connecticut's interests for two spells in the 1890s and again in 1911-1913, championing the needs of working families and the infrastructure that connected communities. After his final term he returned to his law practice and to the civic causes of Bridgeport until his death in 1924, leaving a legacy of steady public service.