George Turner (U.S. politician)

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George Turner (February 25, 1850 - January 26, 1932) was a United States Senator from Washington. Born in Edina, Missouri, he attended the common schools and served as a military telegraph operator with the Union forces from 1861 to 1865. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1869, commencing practice in Mobile, Alabama. From 1876 to 1880, he was United States marshal for the southern and middle districts of Alabama, and was an associate justice of the supreme court for the Territory of Washington from 1885 to 1888. He resumed the practice of law in Spokane, Washington in 1888 and was also interested in mining. He was a member of the Territorial convention in 1889 that framed the constitution of the new State of Washington and was an unsuccessful candidate for election as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 1889 and 1893; he was elected on a fusionist ticket with Silver Republicans, Democrats, and Populists support to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1903; he was not a candidate for reelection and resumed the practice of law in Spokane. In 1903, he was a member of the Alaska Boundary Tribunal and was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor in 1904. He was counsel for the United States at The Hague in the northeastern fisheries arbitration with Great Britain in 1910, and was appointed by President William H. Taft as a member of the International Joint Commission, created to prevent disputes regarding the use of boundary waters between the United States and Canada from 1911 to 1914. He was counsel for the United States before the International Joint Commission from 1918 to 1924 and practiced law in Spokane. He died there in 1932 and interment was in Greenwood Cemetery.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Congressional biography
• Find-A-Grave biography

Preceded by Watson C. Squire

United States Senator (Class 3) from Washington 1897–1903 Served alongside: John L. Wilson, Addison G. Foster

Succeeded by Levi Ankeny