William Pierce Frye, who, since 1861, has been United States senator from Maine, was born at Lewiston, Maine, September 2, 1831. His father was Colonel John N. Frye and his mother Alice N. (Davis) Frye. Graduating from Bowdoin college in 1850, he subsequently carried out the wishes of his family and the trend of his own inclinations by following a legal career, in which he was eminently successful. Becoming a member of the Maine legislature in 1861, he was mayor of Lewiston from 1866 to 1867, and afterward held a variety of political offices, including the attorney-generalship of Maine from 1867 to 1869, presidential elector 1864, was made a member of congress in 1871, which office he held for ten years, was chairman of the commerce committee of the senate and member of the peace commission in Paris, 1898; was president pro tem, of the senate from 1896 to 1901, and after the death of Vice-President Hobart discharged the duties of that office during the Fifty-sixth congress. He is now acting chairman of the committee on foreign relations. Mr. Frye married Caroline Spears, who died in 1900. His life history is one that has for its moral the power of integrity when welded to unceasing effort. JOHN HAY. John Hay, who, since 1890, has been secretary of state of the United States, first saw the light at Salem, Indiana, on October 8, 1838. His father was Dr. Charles Hay, and John was educated in the common schools at Warsaw, Illinois, and in the academy at Springfield, Illinois. He graduated from Brown university in 1858, and after a preparatory period in a local law school was admitted to the Illinois bar. Mr. Hay was one of the private secretaries of President Lincoln. He was breveted colonel of United States Volunteers and was also assistant adjutant-general during the Civil war. He has also been secretary of legation at Paris, Madrid and Vienna and was charge d’affaires at Vienna. From 1879 to 1881 he acted as first assistant secretary of state. During the international sanitary conference of 1881 he was made its president. His services as ambassador to England from 1897 to 1898 will be long remembered in connection with his tactful and dignified diplomacy. Mr. Hay, notwithstanding his many and onerous official duties has found time to write books of both prose and poetry. His Castilian Days and Pike County Ballads are among the most popular of these. In 1874 he married Clara Stone, of Cleveland, Ohio. GEORGE FRISBIE HOAR.