Eben Carleton Sprague (November 28, 1822 – February 14, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Life

He was born on November 28, 1822, in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Grafton County, New Hampshire Grafton County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 91,118. Its county seat is the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, Haverhill. In 1972, the ...

, the son of Noah Paul Sprague (1798–1879) and Abiah (Carlton) Sprague. He attended

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

, and graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1843.

Career

Sprague studied law with

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

and Solomon G. Haven and was admitted to the bar in 1846, and practicing in Buffalo, New York. From 1854 until his death, he practiced in partnership with Fillmore's son,

Millard Powers Fillmore Millard Powers Fillmore (April 25, 1828 – November 15, 1889) was an American lawyer. He was one of two children, and only son, of U.S. President Millard Fillmore and his first wife, Abigail Powers. Early life Millard Powers Fillmore, known ...

, and was an attorney for the Erie Railway. He was elected and became a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(31st D.) in

1877 Events January * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...

as a Republican. Sprague served as the third Chancellor of the

University of Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

from 1885 until his death in 1895. The first was former

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

and the second was Orsamus H. Marshall, the American lawyer, educator and historian.

Personal life

On June 25, 1849, he married Elizabeth Hubbard Williams (1831–1908), and they had eight children. He died on February 14, 1895, in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

Sources

''THE OBITUARY RECORD; S. Carlton Sprague (sic)''
in NYT on February 15, 1895
''Obituary; E. Carlton Sprague''
in ''

The Harvard Crimson ''The Harvard Crimson'' is the student newspaper at Harvard University, an Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The newspaper was founded in 1873, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduate students. His ...

'' on February 19, 1895
Sprague genealogy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sprague, E. Carleton 1822 births 1895 deaths People from Bath, New Hampshire Republican Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Buffalo, New York Harvard College alumni Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Leaders of the University at Buffalo Lawyers from Buffalo, New York 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature