Emil Johann Rudolf Frey (October 24, 1838 – December 24, 1922) was a Swiss politician, soldier in the American Civil War and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1890–1897).
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Early life
Frey was born in Arlesheim, Switzerland, as the son of Emil Remigius Frey. His father was a liberal separatist politician.
Frey's family provided refuge for Friedrich Hecker when he fled the repression following the revolution in Germany in 1848. Frey later emigrated to the USA arriving in Belleville, Illinois an area with many Forty-Eighters, veterans of the 1848 revolutions in Europe. For a while he worked for Hecker, but they had a falling out.[1]
Career during the American Civil War
Frey entered the unionist 24th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment as a private. Hecker was his commander, and they became friends again, with Frey sharing a tent with Hecker's son. Frey was later promoted to 1st. lieutenant but resigned on June 17, 1862. He began raising a company for the Second Hecker Regiment (The 82nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry) and became the company's captain. Captain Frey was taken prisoner at the battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 and held in Libby Prison for eighteen months before being exchanged for Captain Gordon, a Confederate prisoner under sentence of death.[2]
Swiss politician
After the Civil War, Frey returned to Switzerland. From 1866 to 1872, he was a member of the cantonal government of Basel-Country. In 1870, he married Emma Kloss (1848–1877) with whom he had one child, a son, Engelbert.
In 1872, Frey was elected to the Swiss National Council, council he presided in 1875/1876.
From 1882 to 1888, Frey was the first ambassador (Minister) of Switzerland to the United States in Washington.
He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 11, 1890 and handed over office on March 31, 1897. He was affiliated to the Free Democratic Party. During his office time he held the Military Department.
He was President of the Confederation in 1894.
From 1897 to 1921, Frey was director of the International Telegraph Union.[3]
See also
References
- ^ II Formation and Enlistment by Ray W. Burhop, accessed December 10, 2007
- ^ 'Receiving the Swiss Minister: Col. Frey receiving the congratulations of his countrymen' New York Times, November 20, 1882; Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, Civil War, vols. 2 and 5.
- ^ ITU: ITU's Former Secretaries-General
External links
- Profile of Emil Frey with election results on the website of the Swiss Federal Council.
- Personenlexikon des Kantons Basel-Landschaft (German)
- Emil Frey - der Baselbieter Bundesrat (German)
- Fritz Grieder: Emil Frey in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Archiv der Basler Familie Frey - Family archives in Basel (German)
- Emil Frey in the German National Library catalogue (German)
| Preceded by Jakob Stämpfli |
President of the Swiss National Council 1875/1876 |
Succeeded by Arnold Otto Aepli |
| Preceded by Bernhard Hammer |
Member of the Swiss Federal Council 1890–1897 |
Succeeded by Ernst Brenner |
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