Charles Wesley Willard (June 18, 1827 – June 8, 1880) was an American politician, lawyer, and newspaper editor. He served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Biography

Willard was born in

Lyndon, Vermont Lyndon is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,491. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College. The town contains one incorporated village, Lyndonville, and four unincorporated villages ...

, son of Thomas Willard and Abigail (Carpenter) Willard. He attended Caledonia County Grammar School and graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

, in 1851. Willard studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1853. He began the practice of law in Montpelier. In 1855 and 1856 he was Secretary of State of Vermont. He declined reelection, then served as member of the Vermont State Senate in 1860 and 1861. He became editor and publisher of the ''Daily Green Mountain Freeman'' in 1861, and served in those positions until 1873. Willard was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidate to the 41st,

42nd 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

, and 43rd United States Congresses, serving from March 4, 1869, until March 3, 1875. He served as chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions during the 41st and 42nd Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the 44th Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law in Montpelier and served as a member of the commission to revise the laws of Vermont in 1879 and 1880. Willard died on June 8, 1880, in Montpelier, and is interred in

Green Mount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as man ...

in Montpelier.

Personal life

Willard married Emily Doane Reed on August 24, 1855. They had four children, Mary Willard, Ashton R. Willard, Eliza M. Willard and Charles W. Willard.

References

External links

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: WILLARD, Charles Wesley, (1827 - 1880)

Govtrack.us: Rep. Charles Willard

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Willard, Charles Wesley 1827 births 1880 deaths Secretaries of State of Vermont Dartmouth College alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont 19th-century American politicians Burials at Green Mount Cemetery (Montpelier, Vermont)