Alfred Bossom, Baron Bossom

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Alfred Charles Bossom, Baron Bossom FRIBA (6 October 1881 – 4 September 1965) was an English architect and politician.

Bossom was educated at Charterhouse School, Regent Street Polytechnic and the Royal Academy of Arts before leaving for the United States in 1903 to work for Carnegie Steel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and on the restoration of Fort Ticonderoga in 1908. In 1910 he married Emily, daughter of New York City banker, Samuel Bayne, and they had three sons. They later moved to Texas and Bossom worked on many buildings there, including extending the Adolphus Hotel.

At the height of his career in 1932, Bossom came back to England with his family, determined that his children should be educated there. Entirely detached from his architectural career, he began a new life of public service and was elected to Parliament as Conservative MP for Maidstone in 1931; with a brief interruption serving in the British Home Guard, he held that post until 1959. Bossom's wife had died in an aircrash in 1932 and he was remarried to another American, Elinor Dittenhofer in 1934, but they were divorced in 1947.

In 1952 he was made an honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Pittsburgh, was made a Baronet, of Maidstone in the County of Kent in 1953 and received a life peerage as Baron Bossom, of Maidstone in the County of Kent in 1960. Bossom died in London in 1965 and as his title was a life peerage, it became extinct upon his death, although his hereditary baronetcy passed to his only surviving child, Clive (his eldest and youngest sons had died in 1932 and 1959 respectively).

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: Carlyon Bellairs	Member of Parliament for Maidstone 1931–1959	Succeeded by: John Wells
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: New Creation	Baronet (of Maidstone) 1953–1965	Succeeded by: Clive Bossom