William Dorsheimer

William Dorsheimer (February 5, 1832 in Lyons, Wayne County, New York – March 26, 1888 in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia) was an American lawyer, journalist, newspaper publisher, and politician.[1][2]

William Dorsheimer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded byP. Henry Dugro
Succeeded byJohn J. Adams
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office
1875–1879
GovernorSamuel J. Tilden
Lucius Robinson
Preceded byJohn C. Robinson
Succeeded byGeorge Gilbert Hoskins
U.S. Attorney of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
In office
1867–1871
Personal details
Born(1832-02-05)February 5, 1832
Lyons, Wayne County, New York
DiedMarch 26, 1888(1888-03-26) (aged 56)
Savannah, Georgia
Political partyRepublican
Liberal Republican
Democratic
ParentsPhilip Dorsheimer
Sarah Gorgas
EducationPhillips Andover Academy
Alma materHarvard College
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Union Army
Rank Major
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Early life

Dorsheimer was born on February 5, 1832 in Lyons, New York. He was the son of Sarah Gorgas and Philip Dorsheimer (1797–1868), a New York State Treasurer. He was educated in common schools, then at Phillips Andover Academy, and then studied at Harvard College from 1849 to 1851. He left Harvard without graduating because of a protracted illness. After leaving Harvard, he settled in Buffalo, New York, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1854.[1]

Career

In 1859, he formed a partnership with Solomon G. Haven. Also in 1859, Harvard awarded Dorsheimer the honorary degree of Master of Arts. In politics, he began as a Democrat, joined the Republican Party in 1856, and in 1860 again supported the Republican ticket. In 1861, he joined the Union Army as an aide-de-camp with the rank of major and served on the staff of General John C. Frémont, but at the close of the Missouri campaign Dorsheimer returned to civil life, and published a series of articles in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "Frémont's Hundred Days in Missouri."

From 1867 to 1871, as a Republican, he was United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York.

He was a delegate to the 1872 Liberal-Republican National Convention at Cincinnati, Ohio, and afterwards became a Democrat. He was the Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1875 to 1879.[3] During this time, he helped implement the measures against the Canal Ring, and was a delegate to the 1876 Democratic National Convention.[4] Afterwards he resumed the practice of law in partnership with David Dudley Field in New York City.

He was elected as a Democrat to the 48th United States Congress and served from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1885. In 1884, he published a biography of Grover Cleveland,[5] the Democratic candidate for the presidency, and in July 1885, was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.[6] He resigned from that office later in March 1886.[7]

In 1885, he purchased the New York Star and began its publication as a daily paper on September 15. He was one of the founders of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy and the Buffalo Historical Society.

Personal life

Dorsheimer died in Savannah, Georgia, while on a train trip to Florida with his wife.[1] His only daughter had died in 1874. Dorsheimer is buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo.[8][9]

H. H. Richardson
H.H. Richardson designed Dorsheimer House in 1965

Dorsheimer hired American architect H. H. Richardson to design a house for him on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, which still stands, and helped Richardson win the commission to design the New York State Asylum in Buffalo.[10]

He is also chiefly responsible for bringing landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to Buffalo to design its park system.[11][12] The William Dorsheimer House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[13]

References
Notes
  1. "WILLIAM DORSHEIMER DEAD.; HE EXPIRES IN SAVANNAH FROM PNEUMONIA AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS". The New York Times. 28 March 1888. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  2. "DORSHEIMER, William - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  3. "SKETCHES OF THE CANDIDATES.; WILLIAM DORSHEIMER. ROBERT H. ANDERSON. DARIUS A. OGDEN. JUDGE ROBERT EARLE. DEWITT C. WEST". The New York Times. 1 September 1876. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  4. "THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.; A BATCH OF NEW DOCTORS. COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF THE BELLEVUE MEDICAL COLLEGE--ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY STUDENTS GRADUATED--ADDRESS OF LIEUT-GOV. DORSHEIMER". The New York Times. 1 March 1878. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  5. "WHY A CHANGE IS NEEDED". The New York Times. 22 October 1884. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  6. "MR. DORSHEIMER SWORN IN". The New York Times. 7 July 1885. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  7. "NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.; MR. DORSHEIMER'S RESIGNATION". The New York Times. 11 February 1886. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  8. "MR. DORSHEIMER'S FUNERAL". The New York Times. 1 April 1888. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  9. "PLACED BESIDE HIS PARENTS". The New York Times. 3 April 1888. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  10. "A WEDDING IN PARK-AVENUE.; MISS PRATT MARRIED TO MR. JAMES AT THE RESIDENCE OF MR. DORSHEIMER". New York Times. 22 April 1881. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  11. Broderick, Stanton. William Dorsheimer. 1991. Accessed 8 December 2008.
  12. Goldberger, Paul (29 January 1979). "New Albany Room Is Retaining Best of the Old". New York Times. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  13. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
Sources
Political offices
Preceded by
John C. Robinson		 Lieutenant Governor of New York
1875–1879		 Succeeded by
George Gilbert Hoskins
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
P. Henry Dugro		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 7th congressional district
1883–1885		 Succeeded by
John J. Adams
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