▁New port , ▁Rh ode ▁Island . ▁His ▁great - grand father ▁was ▁politician ▁Benjamin ▁Pick man ▁Jr ., ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁Congress man ▁from ▁Massachusetts . ▁His ▁second ▁great - grand father ▁was ▁the ▁merchant ▁E lias ▁H asket ▁Derby , ▁and ▁Derby ' s ▁wife , ▁Elizabeth ▁Crown in sh ield ▁Derby , ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁prominent ▁Crown in sh ield ▁family . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁Y ale ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Sk ull ▁and ▁B ones . ▁After ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁studied ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Law ▁School . ▁He ▁received ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁LL . B . ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁bars ▁of ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁although ▁he ▁never ▁pract iced . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁He ▁had ▁always ▁taken ▁an ▁active ▁interest ▁in ▁politics ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁was ▁a ▁president ial ▁elect or . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁Governor ▁of ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁and ▁served ▁two ▁terms , ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁for ▁a ▁third ▁term . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁commission ▁that ▁built ▁the ▁new ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁State ▁House ▁at ▁Prov idence . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Republican ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate , ▁receiving ▁the ▁un anim ous ▁vote