Samuel W. Dana
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Samuel Wittlesey Dana (February 13, 1760–July 21, 1830) was an American lawyer and politician from Middletown, Connecticut. He represented Connecticut in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
Born in Wallingford, Connecticut, Dana pursued academic studies and graduated from Yale College in 1775. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1778, and practiced in Middletown, Connecticut. He was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly from 1789 to 1796. Afterward he was elected to the United States House of Representatives to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Uriah Tracy, and served from January 3, 1797 to May 10, 1810. There he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Elections, and was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1798 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against William Blount, a Senator from Tennessee.
Dana was elected as a Federalist in 1810 to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James Hillhouse. He was reelected in 1815 and served from December 4, 1810, to March 3, 1821. Afterwards he was mayor of Middletown from 1822 until his death. He was also the presiding judge of the Middlesex County Court from 1825 until his death. He was interred in Washington Street Cemetery.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Uriah Tracy |
U.S. Representative from Connecticut (at large) January 3, 1797 – May 10, 1810 |
Succeeded by Ebenezer Huntington |
| Preceded by James Hillhouse |
U.S. Senator from Connecticut (class 1) June 11, 1810 – March 3, 1821 |
Succeeded by Elijah Boardman |
[edit] Sources
- This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Dana, Samuel Whittlesey [presumed author]. A Specimen of Republican Institutions. Philadelphia: James Humphreys, 1802.
