Frank E. Howe, raised in Brattleboro, Vermont, and trained as a printer, demonstrated entrepreneurial acumen by merging two Bennington weeklies into the daily Bennington Banner, where he served as publisher and editor. He gained significant political experience by serving in the Vermont House of Representatives, including a tenure as Speaker from 1910 to 1912. Howe was elected lieutenant governor, a position he held until 1915, and he twice sought the Republican nomination for governor, though unsuccessfully. His career reflects a blend of media management and public service leadership.

Frank E. Howe's political identity is marked by a unique blend of local entrepreneurship and traditional Republican values. His entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his management and merger of newspapers in Bennington, suggesting a knack for localized economic engagement. Howe's legislative career, particularly his tenure as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, reveals an ideological agility, as his economic policies often intersected with regional industrial interests. Despite his unsuccessful gubernatorial bids, Howe's approach to balancing local business interests with broader Republican principles presents a fascinating conceptual tension.