William Dunlap Simpson

William Dunlap Simpson

William Dunlap Simpson (born October 27, 1823 in Laurens District , South Carolina , † December 26, 1890 in Columbia , South Carolina) was an American politician ( Democratic Party ) and from 1879 to 1880 governor of the state of South Carolina.

Early years and political advancement

William Simpson first studied at South Carolina College , later the University of South Carolina , and then completed a law degree at Harvard University . After his admission to the bar, he practiced in Laurens from 1846 to 1875 . As early as the 1850s, Simpson was from 1854 to 1856 and again from 1858 to 1860 a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina ; from 1860 to 1863 he was a state senate .

During the Civil War , he set up a volunteer unit with soldiers from South Carolina. He made it to Lieutenant Colonel in the war . From 1863 to 1865 he was an elected member of the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress . After the war he was sent to the United States Congress , but was not allowed to take his seat. In 1876 he was nominated and elected to the post of lieutenant governor by his party without his knowledge . After the resignation of Governor Wade Hampton on February 26, 1879, so that he could take his seat in the US Senate , Simpson was the new Governor of South Carolina.

South Carolina Governor and Chief Justice

Simpson only remained in his new office until September 1, 1880. He resigned to take the post of Chief Justice of South Carolina. The governorship was exercised until the end of the electoral term by Thomas Bothwell Jeter , who became the third governor after Hampton and Simpson within a legislative period. During his brief tenure as governor, Simpson campaigned for an improvement in education policy. In addition, an Agricultural Bureau was established in his government. Simpson remained Chief Justice of the state until his death in December 1890. He was married to Elizabeth Young. The couple had seven children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4. Meckler Books, Westport, CT, 1978. 4 volumes.
• The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 12. James T. White & Company, New York

Web links

• William Simpson in the National Governors Association (English)
• South Carolina Information Highway (English)
• William Dunlap Simpson in the database of Find a Grave (English)