William J. Coombs
William Jerome Coombs (December 24, 1833 – January 12, 1922) was a Bourbon Democrat member of the United States House of Representatives from New York, serving two terms from 1891 to 1895.
William J. Coombs | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York | |
In office March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895 | |
Preceded by | William C. Wallace |
Succeeded by | Israel F. Fischer |
Constituency | 3rd district (1891–93) 4th district (1893–95) |
Personal details | |
Born | Jordan, New York | December 24, 1833
Died | January 12, 1922 88) Brooklyn, New York | (aged
Political party | Democratic |
Signature | |
Biography
Born in Jordan, New York, Coombs attended the Jordan Academy there. He moved to New York City in 1850, and in 1855 to Brooklyn. In 1856, he started a business exporting American products, which he did for the next 37 years.
Congress
He ran for Congress in 1888, but lost. Coombs ran again in 1890 and was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second Congress. He ran for reelection in 1892 and won a seat in the Fifty-third Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894.
President Grover Cleveland appointed Coombs a director of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1894, with special commission to collect the debts due the United States Government from the various Pacific railroads.
Later career and death
Coombs later served as president of the Manufacturers' Terminal Co., and after that headed the Title Guarantee & Trust Co. of Brooklyn.
In 1904, Coombs became president of the South Brooklyn Savings Institution,[1] in which capacity he served until his death on January 12, 1922, age 88. He was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery.
Family
His son Charles Adams Coombs married novelist Anne Sheldon Coombs.
References
- "South Brooklyn Savings Institution". The Independent. July 13, 1914. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- United States Congress. "William J. Coombs (id: C000742)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.