Frederic Clemson Howe (November 21, 1867 – August 3, 1940) was a progressive reformer, author, lawyer, member of the Ohio Senate, a Georgist[2] (advocate of a single tax), and Commissioner of Immigration of the Port of New York.

In 1905, he published "The City: the Hope of Democracy", which the Oxford English Dictionary cites as the first use of the term "big business".

[4] In New York, Howe was director of the People's Institute (1911-14) and commissioner of immigration for the port (1914-19).

Rexford Tugwell claimed that Howe was "the subject of vitriolic attacks by the business interests" and was "pictured as a Red".

He was a well-meaning man who permitted his organization to be loaded down with a group of people who were more concerned with stirring up discontent than they were with achieving the objectives of the act.