William J. Brown (Indiana)
Encyclopedia
William John Brown was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
.
, Brown moved to Clermont County, Ohio
, in 1808 with his parents, who settled near New Richmond. He attended the common schools and Franklin Academy in Clermont County. He moved to Rushville, Indiana
in 1821.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar
in 1826, commencing practice in Rushville.
1829-1832. He worked as a prosecutor
from 1831 to 1835, and then served as Secretary of State of Indiana
1836-1840. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana
in 1837. He was again a member of the Indiana House of Representatives 1841-1843.
Brown was elected as a Democrat
to the Twenty-eighth Congress
(March 4, 1843-March 3, 1845). He was appointed Second Assistant Postmaster General by President Polk
and served in that capacity from 1845 until 1849.
Brown was elected to the Thirty-first Congress
(March 4, 1849-March 3, 1851). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1850.
as special agent of the Post Office Department for Indiana and Illinois, which position he held from 1853 until his death near Indianapolis, Indiana
, March 18, 1857. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery
.
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 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...
.
Early life
Born near Washington, KentuckyWashington, Kentucky
Washington is a village near the Ohio River in Mason County in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is one of the earliest settlements in Kentucky and also one of the earliest American settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains...
, Brown moved to Clermont County, Ohio
Clermont County, Ohio
Clermont County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, just east of Cincinnati. As of 2010, the population was 197,363. Its county seat is Batavia...
, in 1808 with his parents, who settled near New Richmond. He attended the common schools and Franklin Academy in Clermont County. He moved to Rushville, Indiana
Rushville, Indiana
Rushville is a city in Rushville Township, Rush County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,341 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Rush County. It was the campaign headquarters for Wendell Willkie's 1940 presidential campaign against Franklin D. Roosevelt. Willkie is buried...
in 1821.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1826, commencing practice in Rushville.
Political career
He served as member of the Indiana House of RepresentativesIndiana 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...
1829-1832. He worked as a prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
from 1831 to 1835, and then served as Secretary of State of Indiana
Secretary of State of Indiana
The Secretary of State of the U.S. state of Indiana is one of five constitutional officers originally designated in Indiana's State Constitution of 1816. Since 1851 it has been an elected position. The Secretary of State has authority of several state departments, and is considered to be the...
1836-1840. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 1837. He was again a member of the Indiana House of Representatives 1841-1843.
Brown was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Twenty-eighth Congress
28th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida .- Senate :*President: Vacant...
(March 4, 1843-March 3, 1845). He was appointed Second Assistant Postmaster General by President Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
and served in that capacity from 1845 until 1849.
Brown was elected to the Thirty-first Congress
31st United States Congress
The Thirty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, during the last 17 months...
(March 4, 1849-March 3, 1851). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1850.
Life after politics
Brown became chief editor of the Indianapolis Sentinel in 1850, working there until 1855. He served many times as chairman of the Democratic State central committee of Indiana. He was appointed by President PierceFranklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
as special agent of the Post Office Department for Indiana and Illinois, which position he held from 1853 until his death near Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, March 18, 1857. He was interred in Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, is the third largest non-governmental cemetery in the United States at . It contains of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest...
.