George Washington Woodward (March 26, 1809May 10, 1875) was a
Democratic member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
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 ...
from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
George W. Woodward was born in
Bethany, Pennsylvania
Bethany is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 246 at the time of the 2010 United States Census.
History
The borough was named after Bethany, a place mentioned in the Bible.
The Wilmot House and Wilmot Mansi ...
. He attended Geneva Seminary (now
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges are Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 maj ...
) in
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...
, and
Wilkes-Barre Academy in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1830 and commenced practice in Wilkes-Barre. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1837. He served as president judge of the fourth judicial district from 1841 to 1851.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
in 1844. Woodward was nominated in 1845 by President
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...
as an
associate justice
Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some state ...
of the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
but the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
voted 20–29 not to confirm him. Woodward was an associate judge of the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme ...
from 1852 to 1863 and chief justice from 1863 to 1867. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for governor in 1863.
Woodward was elected as a Democrat to the
Fortieth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Charles Denison
Charles Denison (January 23, 1818 – June 27, 1867) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Charles Denison (nephew of George Denison) was born in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. He received a liberal e ...
. He was reelected to the
Forty-first Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in
1870. He was a delegate to the
1868 Democratic National Convention
The 1868 Democratic National Convention was held at Tammany Hall in New York City between July 4, and July 9, 1868. The first Democratic convention after the conclusion of the American Civil War, the convention was notable for the return of Democr ...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for president judge of the eleventh judicial district in 1870. He moved to Philadelphia prior to 1860 and continued the practice of law. He was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1873. He traveled abroad in 1874 and died in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
in 1875. Interment in Hollenback Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
His son,
George A. Woodward, would become a
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
.
Sources
George Washington Woodwardat
Find A Grave
Find a Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. Its stated mission is "to help people from all over the world work together to find, record and present fin ...
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodward, George W.
1809 births
1875 deaths
19th-century American politicians
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Hobart and William Smith Colleges alumni
People from Bethany, Pennsylvania
Politicians from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawyers
Pennsylvania state court judges
Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Unsuccessful nominees to the United States Supreme Court
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers