George A. Schofield

Schofield served on a number of boards and committees in Ipswich, including the board of assessor and overseers of the poor. He championed a number of improvements in the town, including the creation of a free municipal water supply and a municipal lighting plant.^[1] In 1897, he was appointed postmaster of Ipswich by President Grover Cleveland.^[1]

In 1901, Schofield was elected to his first of four consecutive terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.^[1] Although a Democrat, Schofield was successful in getting votes from Republicans in the traditionally Republican district. In 1905, he ran for the Third Essex district seat in the Massachusetts Senate.^[5] With the support of laborers, the Henry Cabot Lodge political machine, and fishing owners, he defeated Republican James F. Shaw by 280 votes in a district that had been won by the Republican Moody Kimball a year prior.^[6]

Schofield was encouraged to run for governor in the 1906 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, but instead chose to seek the United States House of Representatives seat in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.^[7][8] He lost to Republican incumbent Augustus P. Gardner 55% to 42%.^[9]

Schofield supported Henry Melville Whitney in the 1907 Massachusetts gubernatorial election. Whitney's campaign managers believed that Schofield was one of their best speakers and made him the Whitney candidate for Lieutenant Governor.^[10] The Democratic convention was held in Springfield on October 5. Whitney delegates gained control of the convention hall and barred Charles W. Bartlett's delegates from entry. The Bartlett delegates assembled themselves to nominate their candidate and adopt their own platform.^[11] Schofield was nominated for Lieutenant Governor by the Whitney faction.^[12] In the general election, Schofield finished third behind Republican Eben Sumner Draper and Independence League candidate E. Gerry Brown.^[13]

Schofield returned to the Senate in 1912 by defeating Republican incumbent James E. Tolman.^[14] He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 6th congressional district seat in 1912, 1914, and 1917.^[15][16][17]

Schofield began studying law at the age of fifty.^[1] He was a member of the firm Hayes and Schofield with George H. W. Hayes.^[18] Schofield was a special justice of the Ipswich district court from 1913 to 1914 and clerk of the court from 1914 until 1923.^[19][20] He was Ipswich's town counsel until his death in 1944.^[1]