Mark Spencer Brewer (October 22, 1837 – March 18, 1901) was an American lawyer and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from the

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Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

who served four terms over two different stints in Congress between 1877 and 1891.

Early life and education

Brewer was born in

Addison Township, Michigan Addison Township is a civil township of northeast Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 6,256. The Township was named for pioneer settler Addison Chamberlain. Communities * The vi ...

, and attended the rural schools and Romeo and Oxford Academies. He studied law, was admitted to the

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in 1864 and commenced practice in

Pontiac Pontiac most often refers to: * Pontiac (Odawa leader) ( – 1769), Native American war chief *Pontiac (automobile), a former General Motors brand Pontiac may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apo ...

. He was city attorney of Pontiac in 1866 and 1867 and circuit court commissioner for

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Pontiac, and its largest city is Troy. As of the ...

1866-1869. He was a member of the

Michigan State Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Constitution of Michigan, Mi ...

from the 20th District 1873-1874.

Political career

Brewer was elected as a Republican to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from Michigan's 6th District for the 45th and 46th Congresses, serving from March 4, 1877, to March 3, 1881. He was appointed consul general to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

on June 30, 1881, by

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 ...

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...

and served from August 29, 1881, until June 7, 1885. He was again elected to the U.S. House for the 50th and 51st Congresses, serving from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1891. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1890 and resumed the practice of law in Pontiac.

Later career

He was a delegate to the

1896 Republican National Convention The 1896 Republican National Convention was held in a temporary structure south of the St. Louis City Hall in St. Louis, Missouri, from June 16 to June 18, 1896. Former Governor William McKinley of Ohio was nominated for president on the first ...

and was appointed a member of the

United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States. It was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of ...

by President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

January 18, 1898, and served until his death in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Death and burial

He is interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, in Pontiac, Michigan.

References

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, Mark Spencer 1837 births 1901 deaths Republican Party Michigan state senators Politicians from Pontiac, Michigan Michigan lawyers Consuls for the United States Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives