Franklin Pierce (1804-1869) was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, and died in Concord, New Hampshire. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College (1824) and the 14th President of the United States (1853-1857). Pierce was a lawyer by trade and shared a practice in Hillsborough with Albert Baker, the elder brother of Mary Baker Eddy. While Pierce embarked on a political career, first as a United States Representative (1833-1837) and then as a Senator (1837-1842), Baker managed their law practice. Pierce's niece and Eddy's cousin, Fanny McNeil Potter, was one of several women who took on hostess duties at the White House. She also painted a portrait of Pierce, which is housed at the New Hampshire Historical Society.

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