Curtis Guild Jr.

Curtis Guild Jr.
c. 1905 portrait photograph by John Garo
43rd Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 4, 1906 – January 7, 1909
Lieutenant	Eben Sumner Draper
Preceded by	William L. Douglas
Succeeded by	Eben Sumner Draper
39th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 8, 1903 – January 4, 1906
Governor	John L. Bates William L. Douglas
Preceded by	John L. Bates
Succeeded by	Eben Sumner Draper
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1881
Personal details
Born	(1860-02-02)February 2, 1860 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	April 6, 1915(1915-04-06) (aged 55) Boston, Massachusetts
Political party	Republican
Signature

Curtis Guild Jr. (February 2, 1860 – April 6, 1915) was an American journalist, soldier, diplomat and politician from Massachusetts. He was the 43rd Governor of Massachusetts, serving from 1906 to 1909. Prior to his election as governor, Guild served in the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, seeing active duty in Cuba during the Spanish–American War. He was publisher of the Boston Commercial Bulletin, a trade publication started by his father.

Educated at Harvard, where he became a close friend of Theodore Roosevelt, Guild was like Roosevelt a progressive Republican, active in the party organization from 1881. During his tenure as governor, a number of social, labor, and government reforms were enacted. After leaving that office, he was considered a potential candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1908, and served for two years as United States Ambassador to Russia.

Curtis Guild Jr. was born in Boston, Massachusetts on February 2, 1860 to Curtis Guild Sr. and Sarah Crocker (Cobb) Guild. Guild's family had deep colonial roots, descending from John Guild, who settled Dedham in 1636. His mother was descended from David Cobb, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. Guild's father was the founder and publisher of the Commercial Bulletin, a Boston trade publication. Guild was educated at Chauncy Hall, a private day school in Boston, and then attended Harvard University. At both schools he was involved in military organizations, rising to become a lieutenant in Harvard's rifle corps in 1879. He was also a good fencer, twice winning the university fencing championship, and worked as a writer on both The Harvard Crimson and The Harvard Lampoon. He graduated from Harvard in 1881 with high honors, and was the orator of his class. During his years at Harvard he became friends with Theodore Roosevelt.