Henry A. du Pont

Henry A. du Pont

Henry Algernon du Pont (born July 30, 1838 in Greenville , Delaware , † December 31, 1926 there ) was an American politician of the Republican Party . From 1906 to 1917 he sat for the US state of Delaware in the US Senate .

Early life and family

Du Pont was born in Greenville in 1838 to Henry and Louis Gerhard du Pont. His grandfather Eleuthère Irénée du Pont was the founder of the chemical company DuPont .

Du Pont attended the University of Pennsylvania , but dropped out of college to go to the United States Military Academy . There he finished his studies in 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War . During the war he served on the side of the US Army . He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his services . After the end of the war he remained in the army until 1875.

At the age of 36, du Pont married Mary Pauline Foster. They both had two sons.

Career

In 1875 du Pont returned to Delaware. From 1879 to 1899 he was a manager at a railway company.

After L. Heisler Ball resigned in 1905, du Pont was sent to the Bundessenat as a representative of Delaware. In 1911 he was re-elected. Between 1911 and 1913 he was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services . In 1916 he had to face the vote of the electorate for the first time, since the 17th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provided for the Senate election by the people from now on. du Pont was unable to prevail against Josiah O. Wolcott and left the Senate in 1917.

death

Du Pont died in his hometown in 1926. There he was buried in the family cemetery.

Web links

• Henry A. du Pont in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Henry A. du Pont in the database of Find a Grave (English)