Ellen Maria Wade Colfax (July 26, 1836 – March 4, 1911) was the second wife of

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. (; March 23, 1823 – January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th Speaker of the United ...

, who became the first

House speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerfo ...

to be elected

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is o ...

when he ran on a ticket headed by

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

in 1868. She was born in

Andover, Ohio Andover is a village located in the south-east of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,145 at the 2010 census. The closest village to the Ohio side of Pymatuning State Park, the settlement supports a regional tourism ind ...

in 1836.

Biography

On November 18, 1868, just two weeks after the election, Ellen Maria Wade married the man who had defeated her uncle, Senator

Benjamin Franklin Wade Benjamin Franklin "Bluff" Wade (October 27, 1800March 2, 1878) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator for Ohio from 1851 to 1869. He is known for his leading role among the Radical Republicans.

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, in the race for the Republican vice presidential nomination. They had one son, Schuyler Colfax III, in April 1870. Her husband,

was inaugurated as the 17th vice president on March 4, 1869, and served until March 4, 1873. Likewise, Ellen Maria Colfax became the

Second Lady of the United States The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...

. She died at her home in South Bend, Indiana in 1911 after a period of poor health, on the 42nd anniversary of her husband's assumption of the vice-presidency. She was survived by her son Schuyler Colfax III. Her funeral was held March 7, 1911, at the Colfax home, and she was buried next to her husband at South Bend City Cemetery."Mrs. Colfax Buried", ''Richmond Morning News'', Wednesday, March 08, 1911, Richmond, Indiana, United States Of America

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Colfax, Ellen 1836 births 1911 deaths Second Ladies of the United States 19th-century American women 20th-century American women Colfax family Schuyler family People from Andover, Ohio Burials in Indiana