Albert Porter

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Albert Porter

Albert Gallatin Porter (born April 20, 1824 in Lawrenceburg , Dearborn County , Indiana , † May 3, 1897 in Indianapolis , Indiana) was an American politician and between 1885 and 1889 the 19th  governor of the state of Indiana.

Early years and political advancement

Albert Porter attended Hanover College and then studied at DePauw University until 1843 . In the same year he moved to Greencastle , where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He then began to practice in Indianapolis in his new profession. Between 1851 and 1853, Porter was a trial attorney for the City of Indianapolis; from 1853 to 1857 he was employed as clerk to the Supreme Court of Indiana . He also served on the Indianapolis City Council from 1857 to 1859.

Originally a member of the Democratic Party , Porter joined the Republicans in 1858, annoyed by their stance on the issue of slavery . Between 1859 and 1863 Porter was a member of the US House of Representatives in Washington . There he experienced the outbreak of the civil war . After leaving Congress , he returned to practice as a lawyer. In 1878 he returned to the political stage as an auditor ( Comptroller ) in the US Treasury Department . He held this office until 1880. In 1880 he was elected governor of Indiana with 49.2 percent of the vote against Franklin Landers . He replaced Isaac P. Gray on January 10, 1881 , who had only served as governor for a few weeks. Gray was to become his successor in 1885.

Indiana Governor

During his four-year tenure, he placed great emphasis on health policy. It was then that the Indiana State Health Committee was created. In addition, more hospitals for the mentally handicapped were built across the country. Valuable land could be obtained by draining swamps.

After his tenure he worked as a lawyer again. Between 1889 and 1892 he was the successor to John B. Stallo US ambassador to Italy . Then he withdrew into private life. He died in 1897 after a long illness. Albert Porter was married twice and had a total of four children.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Porter, Albert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Porter, Albert Gallatin (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 20, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH Lawrenceburg , Dearborn County , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH May 3, 1897
Place of death Indianapolis , Indiana