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

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. ( ; March 23, 1823January 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 Sta ...

, who became the first House speaker to be elected

vice president A vice president or 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 vi ...

when he ran on a ticket headed by

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

in 1868. She was born in Andover, Ohio in 1836.

Biography

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

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, 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 lady of the United States or second gentleman (SLOTUS or SGOTUS) 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 to " first la ...

. She died at her home in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

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

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* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Colfax, Ellen 1836 births 1911 deaths Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States 19th-century American women 20th-century American women Colfax family Schuyler family People from Andover, Ohio People from South Bend, Indiana Spouses of Indiana politicians