Henry C. Platt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Clay Platt
BornOctober 22, 1840
DiedDecember 16, 1904(1904-12-16) (aged 64)
Alma materPrinceton University
Spouse
Jennie Dussenberry
(m. 1864)
Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
In office
February 1, 1894 – July 23, 1894
PresidentGrover Cleveland
Preceded byEdward Mitchell
Succeeded byWallace Macfarlane
Member of the New York State Assembly from Suffolk County's 2nd District
In office
January 1, 1864 – December 31, 1865
Preceded byJohn S. Havens
Succeeded byRichard Athil Udall
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic

Henry Clay Platt (October 22, 1840 – December 16, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life[edit]

Platt was born on October 22, 1840, in New York City, New York, the son of David Platt and Sarah Gould.[1]

Platt attended Huntington Academy and Ashland Hall in West Bloomfield, New Jersey. He then went to Princeton College, graduating from there in 1858 as the youngest member of his class. He then studied law in the office of Van Winkle & Halsey. He was admitted to the bar in 1863.[2]

In 1863, Platt was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Democrat, representing the Suffolk County 2nd District. He served in the Assembly in 1864[3] and 1865.[4] After he left the Assembly, he formed a law practice in New York City with former state senator Robert Christie Jr. When his father died, he moved to Huntington, New York, and had a general law practice there.[5]

In 1886, Platt moved to New York City and practiced law there. President Cleveland appointed him Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he retained under the President Harrison. In 1894, he became the United States Attorney to fill a vacancy caused by Edward Mitchell's term expiring. Wallace Macfarlane was then appointed United States Attorney, and Attorney General Olney appointed him Assistant United States Attorney.[2] He served that position until July 1904, when he resigned due to poor health.[6]

Platt was a member of the Princeton Club, Chi Phi, and the Cliosophic Society.[7] He wrote a book in 1876, "Old Times in Huntington."[8] He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Huntington. In 1864, he married Jennie Dussenberry. Their only son, Harry, died at the age of 21.[9]

Platt died at his Huntington home on December 16, 1904.[9] He was buried in Huntington Rural Cemetery.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Chamberlain, Joshua L., ed. (1899). Universities and Their Sons: History, Influence and Characteristics of American Universities. Vol. III. Boston, M.A.: R. Herndon Company. pp. 287–288 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Portrait and Biographical Record of Suffolk County (Long Island), New York. Chapman Publishing Co. 1896. pp. 779–781 – via HathiTrust.
  3. ^ The Evening Journal Almanac, 1864. Albany, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons & Company. 1864. p. 81 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ The Evening Journal Almanac, 1865. Albany, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons & Company. 1865. p. 78 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ "Hon. Henry Clay Platt". The University Magazine. X (2). New York, N.Y.: 147 February 1894 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Henry Clay Platt Dead". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol. 65, no. 348. 17 December 1904. p. 15 – via Brooklyn Public Library Historical Newspapers.
  7. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. V. New York, N.Y.: James T. White & Company. 1907. p. 501 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Leonard, John W., ed. (1903). Who's Who in America. Chicago, I.L.: A. N. Marquis & Company. p. 1176 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ a b "Henry Clay Platt". Long Islander News. Vol. LXIX, no. 18. Huntington, N.Y. 23 December 1904. p. 3 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.

External links[edit]

New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
Suffolk County, 2nd District

1864–1865
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York
1894
Succeeded by