Antedating of "Founding Fathers"

[Shapiro, Fred]

The OED's first use for "founding father" is dated 1914, but this is an error for 1941.  I have previously traced the term back to 1910 with citations strongly suggesting that Warren Harding was the coiner.  However, I have now found the following antedating that presumably disproves the Harding coinage:

1894 _Congressional Record_ 6 June 5849 (Hein Online)  In that magnificent electoral revolution which had effaced Harrison ... they saw born again the grand and fearless spirit of the founding fathers of the American Constitution.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                                            Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and        YALE BOOK OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press
Yale Law School                                           ISBN 0300107986
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu
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