Jurist, US Supreme Court Associate Justice. A member of the Republican Party, he served in this position from December 1872 until January 1882. Born in Utica, New York, he was the son of a local banker. In 1828 he graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York and attended Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut, and was admitted to the bar in 1831. In 1839 he entered politics and was elected as a Democrat from Oneida County to the New York State Assembly and in 1844 he was elected Mayor of Utica. In 1848 he switched to the Free Soil Party and seven years later he helped to found the New York Republican Party. In 1865 he was elected to the New York Court of Appeals, becoming the Chief Judge in 1868. In December 1872 US President Ulysses S. Grant nominated him to the US Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy left by Associate Justice Samuel Brown upon his retirement. He was confirmed by the US Senate and took his seat the following month. During his tenure on the Supreme Court, he had relatively little impact, usually siding with the majority, and wrote only four dissenting opinions. He suffered a severe paralyzing stroke in 1878 that prevented him from performing his duties, but would not retire until he had ten years of federal service at the minimum age of 70 to receive a full pension, which occurred in January 1882, and was succeeded by Samuel Blatchford. He died in Washington DC at the age of 75.
Jurist, US Supreme Court Associate Justice. A member of the Republican Party, he served in this position from December 1872 until January 1882. Born in Utica, New York, he was the son of a local banker. In 1828 he graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York and attended Litchfield Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut, and was admitted to the bar in 1831. In 1839 he entered politics and was elected as a Democrat from Oneida County to the New York State Assembly and in 1844 he was elected Mayor of Utica. In 1848 he switched to the Free Soil Party and seven years later he helped to found the New York Republican Party. In 1865 he was elected to the New York Court of Appeals, becoming the Chief Judge in 1868. In December 1872 US President Ulysses S. Grant nominated him to the US Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy left by Associate Justice Samuel Brown upon his retirement. He was confirmed by the US Senate and took his seat the following month. During his tenure on the Supreme Court, he had relatively little impact, usually siding with the majority, and wrote only four dissenting opinions. He suffered a severe paralyzing stroke in 1878 that prevented him from performing his duties, but would not retire until he had ten years of federal service at the minimum age of 70 to receive a full pension, which occurred in January 1882, and was succeeded by Samuel Blatchford. He died in Washington DC at the age of 75.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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