{{Short description|American businessman and politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Robert H. Foerderer | image = Robert H. Foerderer (Pennsylvania Congressman).jpg | caption = Image from ''Robert H. Foerderer, Late a Representative-elect from Pennsylvania'' published in 1905. | state = [[Pennsylvania]] | constituency = {{ushr|PA|AL|C}} (1901–1903)<br>{{ushr|PA|4|C}} (1903) | term_start = March 4, 1901 | term_end = July 26, 1903 | preceded = [[James R. Young (Pennsylvania politician)|James R. Young]] | succeeded = [[Samuel A. Davenport]],<br>[[Galusha A. Grow]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1860|05|16}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1903|07|26|1860|05|16}} | birth_place = [[Bad Frankenhausen]], [[Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]] | death_place = [[Torresdale, Philadelphia]], U.S. | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] }} '''Robert Hermann Foerderer''' (May 16, 1860{{spnd}}July 26, 1903) was an American businessman and politician who served as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] member of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] for [[Pennsylvania's at-large congressional district]] from 1901 to 1903 and [[Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district]] in 1903.
He owned Robert H. Foerderer, Inc. which produced leather goods and invented a [[Tanning (leather)|chrome tanning]] technique to create a leather product he trademarked [[Vici kid|Vici Kid]].
He died in office in 1903, possibly due to chromate poisoning from his years handling chromium to perfect his chrome tanning technique.
==Early life== Robert H. Foerderer was born in [[Bad Frankenhausen]], in [[Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]]. His parents were U.S. citizens and were visiting the place of their birth.<ref name=Warwick>{{cite book |last1=Warwick |first1=Charles Franklin |title=Warwick's Keystone Commonwealth: A Review of the Great History of Pennsylvania, and a Brief Record of the Growth of its Chief City, Philadelphia |date=1913 |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |page=344 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-UcVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA344 |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref> His father Edward was a manufacturer of [[Morocco leather]]. Robert attended public and private schools in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] but did not attend college<ref>{{cite book |last1=Halford |first1=A.J. |title=Official Congressional Directory |date=1903 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington |page=101 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9g3AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA101 |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>
In 1881, he married Caroline Fischer and together they had two children.<ref name=Majewicz/>
==Business career== [[File:Vici Kid Advertisement in Vanity Fair.png|thumb|[[Vici kid]] Advertisement in [[Vanity Fair (American magazine 1913–1936)|Vanity Fair]], 1924]] Foerderer worked for a brief period as a bank clerk<ref name=Warwick/> and entered the leather industry as an apprentice at his father's [[morocco leather]] business.<ref name=Hill>{{cite book |last1=Hill |first1=Edwin C. |title=The Historical Register |date=1919 |location=New York |pages=125–126 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX0DAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA125 |access-date=25 September 2021}}</ref>
In 1885, he established Robert H. Foerderer, Inc., which also manufactured [[leather]] goods. Foerderer invented a [[chrome tanning]] technique for treating animal skin with [[Chromium(III) sulfate|chromium sulfate]] that resulted in a soft and supple leather for the production of handbags, shoes and gloves. His technique reduced the tanning time from four months to two to three weeks. Foerderer named his leather product Vici Kid — "Vici" being Latin for "I conquered" and "kid" referring to the goat skin used to make the leather.<ref name=Shipley>{{cite web |last1=Shipley |first1=Erin |title=Vici Kid Factory - Robert H. Foerderer, Inc. |url=http://www.philaplace.org/story/1326/ |website=www.philaplace.org |access-date=21 September 2021}}</ref> Foerderer also partnered with the [[Rohm & Haas]] chemical company to implement the use of Oropon as a replacement for dog dung in the leather softening process.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Silcox |first1=Harry C. |title=Remembering Northeast Philadelphia |date=2009 |publisher=The History Press |location=Charleston, SC |isbn=978-1-61423-291-9 |pages=69–70 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9x-CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT69 |access-date=25 September 2021}}</ref>
Foerderer's company began as a one-room factory in the [[Frankford, Philadelphia|Frankford]] section of Philadelphia and eventually grew to cover 17 acres.<ref name=Shipley/> The factory employed over 4,000 people and processed 50,000 skins per day.<ref>{{cite book |title=Robert H. Foederer (late a Representative-elect from Pennsylvania) Memorial Addresses Delivered in the House of Representatives |date=1905 |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington |page=12 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t41r6xw0w&view=1up&seq=20&skin=2021 |access-date=22 September 2021}}</ref> His company also used the by-products of leather production to produce [[Animal glue|hide glue]] and goat hair for various uses. The glue plant was located in Philadelphia's [[Bridesburg, Philadelphia|Bridesburg]] neighborhood, and the goat-hair factory was near the leather plant.<ref name=Hill/>
Foerderer's Vici Kid leather product won the grand prize and gold medal in a competition at the [[1893 Chicago World's Fair]], which introduced the product to a large audience and created demand.<ref name=Shipley/>
Foerderer served as president and director of the Keystone Telephone Company<ref name=Majewicz>{{cite web |last1=Majewicz |first1=Cary |title=Foerderer family papers |url=https://www.hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaid3102foerderer.pdf |website=www.hsp.org |publisher=The Historical Society of Pennsylvania |access-date=21 September 2021}}</ref> and as a member of the boards of directors for the [[Philadelphia Rapid Transit]],<ref name=Schmidt>{{cite web |last1=Schmidt |first1=David |title=Foerderer fortunes the zoo |url=http://lowermerionhistory.org/?page_id=322 |website=www.lowermerionhistory.org |publisher=The Lower Merion Historical Society |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref> the Columbia Avenue Trust Company, and the Quaker City Trust. He was a member of the [[Union League of Philadelphia]], the Columbia Club, the [[Five O'Clock Club of Philadelphia]], the Philadelphia Bourse, and the Manhattan Club of New York. Foerderer was a member of the [[Independent Order of Odd Fellows]] and a thirty-second degree [[Freemasonry|Mason]].<ref name=Hill/>
[[File:Glen Foerd at T.JPG|thumb|Foerderer purchased the summer home of [[Charles Macalester]] on the [[Delaware River]] and renamed it [[Glen Foerd on the Delaware|Glen Foerd]]]] In 1895, Foerderer purchased the summer home of [[Charles Macalester]] in the [[Torresdale, Philadelphia|Torresdale]] neighborhood of Philadelphia. The estate, previously named Glengarry, was renamed [[Glen Foerd on the Delaware|Glen Foerd]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Walton |first1=Meg Sharp |title=Cultural Landscape Survey Glen Foerd on the Delaware |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a59ceff14aa10fcd2bfb28/t/5bf56054b8a045419199e0e3/1542807636799/Glen+Foerd+CLI+report+draft+9+10+14.pdf |website=www.static1.squarespace.com |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>
==Political career== Foerderer was elected in [[United States House election, 1900|1900]] as a Republican to the [[57th United States Congress]] as a representative for Pennsylvania's at-large congressional district. He served on the committees for banking and currency, enrolled bills and ventilation and acoustics.<ref name=Hill/> Foerderer was re-elected in [[United States House election, 1902|1902]] for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district and served until his death in 1903.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foerderer, Robert Hermann |url=https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/F000232 |website=www.bioguide.congress.gov |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref>
==Death and legacy== [[File:Robert H. Foerderer Mausoleum.jpg|thumb|Robert H. Foerderer Mausoleum in [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]]]] Foederer died in 1903 while in office at his home in Torresdale.<ref name="cd">{{cite web |title=S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903 |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/SERIALSET-04562_00_00-001-0001-0000 |website=GovInfo.gov |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=2 July 2023 |page=III |date=9 November 1903}}</ref> He was interred in Philadelphia's [[Laurel Hill Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Flynn-curie to Foghorn |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/flynt-fogg.html |website=www.politicalgraveyard.com |access-date=24 September 2021}}</ref> It is possible that he died from [[Chromate and dichromate|chromate]] poisoning from his years handling chromium for his chrome tanning technique although the cause of death was listed as [[Bright's disease]].<ref name=Schmidt/>
Following Foerderer's death, [[Reuben Moon]] would be elected to fill his vacancy.{{r|"cd"}} Foerderer's son, Percival took over management of the leather goods business and is known for building the [[La Ronda (estate)|La Ronda]] mansion and estate in [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]].
The Glen Foerd estate is currently operated as a [[historic house museum]], and the grounds are a public park.<ref name=penns>{{cite web|title=Mansions along the Delaware|url=http://www.pennsburymanor.org/mansions-along-the-delaware/|work=Pennsbury Manor|access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
==See also== *[[List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)]]
==Citations== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Robert Hermann Foerderer}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Pennsylvania | district=AL | before=At-large:<br>[[Samuel A. Davenport]],<br>[[Galusha A. Grow]] | after= [[Pennsylvania's 29th congressional district|29th]]: [[George Shiras III]]<br> [[Pennsylvania's 30th congressional district|30th]]: [[John Dalzell]] | years= 1901–1903 alongside:<br>[[Galusha A. Grow]] }} {{US House succession box | state=Pennsylvania | district=4 | before=[[James R. Young (Pennsylvania politician)|James R. Young]] | after=[[Reuben O. Moon]] | years=1903 }} {{s-end}} {{Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Foerderer, Robert H.}} [[Category:1860 births]] [[Category:1903 deaths]] [[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]] [[Category:19th-century American inventors]] [[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]] [[Category:Bankers from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:American company founders]] [[Category:American Freemasons]] [[Category:Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia)]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia]] [[Category:Deaths from nephritis]] [[Category:People from Bad Frankenhausen]] [[Category:Politicians from Philadelphia]] [[Category:Republican Party United States representatives from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Tanners]] [[Category:People from Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]] [[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]