William Andrew Wallace (November 28, 1827May 22, 1896) was an American lawyer and politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as a Democratic member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

for Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1881. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 20th district from 1863 to 1886 including as speaker in 1871.

Biography

William Wallace was born on November 28, 1827, in

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Huntingdon is a borough in (and the county seat of) Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Juniata River, approximately east of Altoona and west of Harrisburg. With a population of 7,093 at the 2010 census ...

, to Robert Wallace and Jane Hemphill. He relocated with his parents to

Clearfield, Pennsylvania Clearfield is a borough and the county seat of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 5,962 people, making it the second most populous community in Clearfield County, behind DuBois. The borough ...

, in 1836. He graduated from Clearfield academy and began studying law at the age of 16 at his father's law practice. He was admitted to the bar in 1847 and began work as a lawyer in Clearfield in addition to teaching at Clearfield Academy. He served as a captain of the Clearfield Guards in 1854 and became a prominent member of the Peace Democrats from Pennsylvania during the U.S. Civil War. He served in the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 20th district from 1863 to 1886, including as Speaker in 1871. While in the State Senate, Wallace was member of a commission charged with drafting amendments to the 1874

Pennsylvania Constitution The Constitution of Pennsylvania is the supreme law within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All acts of the General Assembly, the governor, and each governmental agency are subordinate to it. Since 1776, Pennsylvania's Constitution has undergone ...

. In 1875, Wallace was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

as a Democrat by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to the United States Senate. He served one term from March 1875 until March 1881, and was unsuccessful in seeking re-election in

1881 Events January–March * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The ...

. In the U.S. Senate, Wallace served as chairman of the Democratic Conference from 1877 until 1881 and as chairman of the Committee on the Revision of Laws of the United States during the 46th Congress (1879–81). He also served on the Finance, Appropriations and Foreign Relations committees. After his U.S. Senate service, Wallace continued to practice law and returned to the state senate. Wallace was a successful businessman and in 1864 purchased the Smith Mines from

Andrew Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the crea ...

and renamed them the Wallace Mines. He served as a member of the first board of directors of the Clearfield County Bank in 1865 and the County National Bank of Clearfield. In 1871, Wallace invested in land adjacent to the Logan Coal Company and began a coal mining operation which he sold in 1878. He worked as vice president of the

Texas and Pacific Railroad Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by b ...

, president of the

Beech Creek Railroad The Beech Creek Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in central Pennsylvania between Jersey Shore and Mahaffey. Originally chartered in 1882, it was leased by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (later the New York Central Ra ...

, director of the Clearfield Cemetery Association and part owner of the Wallacetown Brick Company. Wallace was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania twice, once in 1886 and again in 1890. Wallace died of a stroke while in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on business in 1896. He was returned to Clearfield and buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery.

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* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, William A. 1827 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American railroad executives American businesspeople in the coal industry Burials in Pennsylvania Copperheads (politics) Democratic Party United States senators from Pennsylvania Educators from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania lawyers Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators People from Clearfield, Pennsylvania People from Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 19th-century American educators