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) in

Geneva, New York Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 13, ...

, 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. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...

. 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 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 powe ...

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 sta ...

of the Supreme Court of the United States 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 Ju ...

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 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

. He was a delegate to the 1868 Democratic National Convention. 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 Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

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 warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Sources

George Washington Woodward
at Find A Grave , - , - {{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