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Albert White (U.S. Senator)
Encyclopedia
Albert Smith White was a U.S. Senator and Representative
from the state
of Indiana
.
White was born in Orange County
, New York
. He graduated from Union College
in Schenectady
in 1822, after which he studied law
; he entered practice as a lawyer
in 1825. After a time he moved to Lafayette, Indiana
, where he worked as the assistant clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives
from 1831–32, moving up to the full clerkship in 1832-35. He also ran for the House in 1832, but was defeated.
1836 proved a more successful year for White; he served as a presidential elector on the Whig
ticket, and was himself elected as a Whig to the 25th Congress (March 4, 1837-March 3, 1839). After a single term in the House, White ran for the Senate in the 1838 election.
White won election to the Senate, where he served as chairman of two committees: the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses, and the Committee on Indian Affairs. White declined to stand for reelection.
After leaving the Senate, he returned to Indiana, moving to the town of Stockwell
, where he once again took up law, and also served as the president of several railroads. In the 1860 election, he re-entered politics, running as a Republican for the House.
White was elected to the House again, serving from March 4, 1861-March 3, 1863. He was a member of the select committee on emancipation. After his first term, he again did not run for reelection. After leaving the House, President
Abraham Lincoln
named him a member of a commission that would judge claims against the government from citizens for not protecting them from Indian attacks. After his service there, he was made a judge
on the U.S. District Court for Indiana. He served in this capacity until his death in Stockwell in 1864, when he was interred in Greenbush Cemetery in Lafayette.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
White was born in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
in 1822, after which he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
; he entered practice as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in 1825. After a time he moved to Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
, where he worked as the assistant clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
from 1831–32, moving up to the full clerkship in 1832-35. He also ran for the House in 1832, but was defeated.
1836 proved a more successful year for White; he served as a presidential elector on the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
ticket, and was himself elected as a Whig to the 25th Congress (March 4, 1837-March 3, 1839). After a single term in the House, White ran for the Senate in the 1838 election.
White won election to the Senate, where he served as chairman of two committees: the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses, and the Committee on Indian Affairs. White declined to stand for reelection.
After leaving the Senate, he returned to Indiana, moving to the town of Stockwell
Stockwell, Indiana
Stockwell, originally named Lauramie, is a small town in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. It was once a stop along the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad, but the rail line has since been removed...
, where he once again took up law, and also served as the president of several railroads. In the 1860 election, he re-entered politics, running as a Republican for the House.
White was elected to the House again, serving from March 4, 1861-March 3, 1863. He was a member of the select committee on emancipation. After his first term, he again did not run for reelection. After leaving the House, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
named him a member of a commission that would judge claims against the government from citizens for not protecting them from Indian attacks. After his service there, he was made a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
on the U.S. District Court for Indiana. He served in this capacity until his death in Stockwell in 1864, when he was interred in Greenbush Cemetery in Lafayette.