George Harman Durand (February 21, 1838 – June 8, 1903) was a politician, jurist, and attorney from

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Biography

Durand was born in Cobleskill, New York. He attended the common schools and

Genesee Wesleyan Seminary The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York. The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I) was founded in 1831 by the Genesee Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The plan for its ...

Lima, New York Lima (, the name is a shibboleth) is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Livingston County, New York, Livingston County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 4,305 at the 2010 census. The town is in the ...

. Durand moved to

Oxford, Michigan Oxford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Township. Located about north of Detroit, it is a northern suburb of the Metro Detroit r ...

, in 1856, where he taught school, studied law, and was admitted to the

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Career

Durand commenced practice at

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

, in 1858, where he was also a member of the board of education and a member of the board of aldermen, from 1862 to 1867. He was the mayor of Flint in 1873 and 1874. In 1874, Durand was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

Michigan's 6th congressional district Michigan's 6th congressional district is a United States congressional district in southeast Michigan. In 2022, the district was redrawn to be centered around Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, as well as western and southern Wayne County, small ...

to the

44th United States Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

, serving from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877. In 1876, he lost in the general election to Republican Mark S. Brewer. Durand resumed his law practice. In 1892, he was one of Michigan's

Presidential Electors The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

. He was appointed Justice of the

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the state ...

in 1892, and was subsequently defeated for election to the court in 1893 by Frank A. Hooker. Durand was president of the State board of law examiners for many years and was appointed special assistant United States attorney in Chinese and opium smuggling cases in Oregon, serving from 1893 to 1896.

Death and legacy

Durand died in Flint and is interred in Glenwood Cemetery there. In 1876, the community of Durand, Michigan, was named after him.

References

External links

*
History of Durand, Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durand, George Harman 1838 births 1903 deaths 1892 United States presidential electors Mayors of Flint, Michigan Michigan city council members Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Flint, Michigan) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan People from Cobleskill, New York 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges