William George Thompson

William George Thompson (January 17, 1830 – April 2, 1911) was a Civil War officer, trial-court judge, territorial justice, and Republican Representative in the United States House of Iowa's 5th congressional district.

This article is about the American politician. For the Australian politician, also named William George Thompson, see William Thompson (Australian politician).
For other people named William Thompson, see William Thompson (disambiguation).
William G. Thompson
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
In office
1885–1887
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Iowa's 5th district
In office
December 1, 1879 – March 3, 1883
Preceded byRush Clark
Succeeded byJames Wilson
Chief Justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court
In office
January 23, 1879 – April 1879
Appointed byRutherford B. Hayes
Preceded byM. E. Hollister
Succeeded byJohn T. Morgan
Personal details
Born(1830-01-17)January 17, 1830
Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedApril 2, 1911(1911-04-02) (aged 81)
Kenwood Park, Iowa, U.S
Political partyRepublican
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Rank Major
Unit20th Iowa Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars

Biography

Thompson was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, the younger brother of future Pennsylvania Congressman John McCandless Thompson. In 1853, he was admitted to the bar and moved to Marion, Iowa. He became the prosecuting attorney for Linn County, Iowa in 1854, then left in 1856 to serve in the Iowa Senate, serving until 1860. When the Civil War broke out he became a major in the 20th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

After the War, he served as district attorney for Iowa's eighth judicial district for six years. He then was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes as Chief Justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court on January 20, 1879, and was confirmed by the senate three days later.[1]

In April 1879, Thompson resigned as chief justice to run as a Republican to represent Iowa's fifth district in the Forty-sixth Congress, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rush Clark. Thompson won the special election, and served in most of the Forty-sixth Congress. In 1882, he was re-elected, serving in the Forty-seventh Congress, but chose not to run in 1884 for the Forty-eighth.

On his return to Iowa, Thompson served on the Marion City Council and ran for the Iowa General Assembly. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1885 to 1887. Returning to the bench, he was elected as judge of Iowa's eighteenth judicial district, serving from 1894 to 1906. He retired to Kenwood Park, Iowa where he died April 2, 1911. He is interred at Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion.

References
  1. Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America from March 5, 1877, to March 3, 1879, inclusive. 1901. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)


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