George H. Proffit (September 4, 1807 – September 7, 1847) was an American lawyer who served two terms 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

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

from 1839 to 1843.

Biography

Born in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, Proffit completed preparatory studies. He moved to

Petersburg, Indiana Petersburg is a city within Washington Township and the county seat of Pike County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,383 at the 2010 census. Petersburg is part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Petersburg w ...

, in 1828. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Petersburg and Portersville, Indiana. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1831, 1832, and 1836–1838.

Congress

Proffit was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1842.

Later career and death

He was appointed by President Tyler as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Brazil and served from June 7, 1843, to August 10, 1844, when he returned home, the Senate having refused to confirm his appointment. He died in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, September 7, 1847, and was interred in

Walnut Hill Cemetery (Petersburg, Indiana) Walnut Hill Cemetery is a cemetery in Petersburg, Indiana, less than a mile south of the lower portion of the White River. It is sometimes called Walnut Hills Cemetery. Notable people interred there include George H. Proffit (1807–1847), Arthu ...

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Proffit, George H. 1807 births 1847 deaths Politicians from New Orleans Ambassadors of the United States to Brazil Members of the Indiana House of Representatives 19th-century American diplomats Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana People from Petersburg, Indiana 19th-century American politicians