Frederick O. Prince

Frederick Octavius Prince (January 18, 1818 – June 6, 1899) was an American lawyer, politician, and mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.

He was the father of financier Frederick H. Prince.

Frederick Prince was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 18, 1818, the son of Thomas J. and Caroline (née Prince) Prince. He was "of English stock on one side and Scotch on the other, and his ancestors were among the earliest settlers in New England." An ancestor of his, John Prince, migrated from Hull in 1633.

He was educated at Boston Latin School and graduated from Harvard College in 1836. He studied law at the office of Dexter & Gardiner and was admitted to the bar in 1840.

He engaged in politics as a member of the Whig Party. Prince was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1851 and served for three years. He became quite popular due to his eloquent speeches on reform. He was a prominent participant in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853. In 1854, he was elected to the Massachusetts Senate.

After the Whig Party dissolved in 1860, Prince joined the Democratic Party. He was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention and was unanimously elected secretary of the convention. He served as secretary until 1888.

In 1876, Prince was elected Mayor of Boston, serving in 1877. He was defeated for re-election that year, but returned to office in 1879, serving until 1881.

During his tenure as mayor, Prince oversaw improvements to the city's sewer system and the development of the city's park system. At the end of Mayor Prince's incumbency, the most important projects before the city were the erection of the new Court House, the Public Library building, and the establishment of public parks in different parts of the city. The Boston Latin and English High School buildings were also erected due to his influence. He was relatively frugal during his first time as mayor but spent quite a lot on improving the East Boston ferries in his second. In 1880, the city government celebrated the 250th anniversary of the settlement of Boston. On this occasion the statue of John Winthrop was unveiled on Scollay Square.