James Wilson was born in Newark, Ohio. After admission to the bar in 1852, he
began practicing law the next year in Fairfield, Iowa. He was elected to both branches of
the Iowa legislature and served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention in
1856. First elected to Congress in 1861 to fill a vacancy, he was subsequently reelected
to four consecutive terms. Wilson served as chair of the judiciary committee and as one of
seven House managers of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. In 1869, Wilson was
appointed as a commissioner of the Pacific Railroad. He later served two terms as U.S.
senator from Iowa (1883-1895). He died in Fairfield, Iowa.
Robert C. Kennedy, HarpWeek
Source consulted: Dictionary of American Biography |
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James Falconer Wilson
(19 October 1828 - 22 April 1895)
Source: History of Congress, 1867-69, Vol. I
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