Israel Wilson Durham (24 October 1855 – 28 June 1909) was an American politician 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, ...

who served 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 ...

member of the

Pennsylvania Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

for the 6th district from 1897 to 1898 and the 2nd district from 1898 to 1899. He was a

political boss In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous off ...

of Philadelphia's 7th ward and also briefly the president and principal owner of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

baseball team in 1909.

Early life

Durham was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to Thomas and Jane Durham. He received a public school education and briefly entered the cloth business with J.B. Ellison & Company. He apprenticed to Silas Emory, a brick-layer for two years. He later joined his father's flour dealer business as a buyer and salesman.

Career

From an early age he turned to politics, identifying himself with the Republican Party, then dominant in Philadelphia. In 1885, he was elected police magistrate; he was re-elected in 1890. In 1897, he was elected to the

Senate from the 6th District to fill the unexpired term of

Boies Penrose Boies Penrose (November 1, 1860 – December 31, 1921) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After serving in both houses of the Pennsylvania legislature, he represented Pennsylvania in the United ...

, who had risen to 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 ...

. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania in 1900, 1904, and 1908. He was appointed state Insurance Commissioner by Governor

William A. Stone William Alexis Stone (April 18, 1846March 1, 1920) was an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1899 to 1903. Early life and family Stone was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. He was descended fro ...

, then re-appointed by Governor

Samuel W. Pennypacker Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker (April 9, 1843 – September 2, 1916) was an American politician serving as the List of governors of Pennsylvania, 23rd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907. He also served Pennsylvania as a judge and wrote abo ...

. He held this post until June 1, 1905, when he resigned to go West for his health. He abandoned his position as party leader in January 1906. He was re-elected to the state senate in 1908, to take the place of Senator Scott. Durham was a political boss of Philadelphia's 7th ward and was influential in the selection of Philadelphia's mayor and most of the city government members. In February 1909, he and a group of investors bought the Philadelphia Phillies National League Baseball Club, of which he served as president. He died while in office on 28 June 1909 in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

. He was interred in Philadelphia's Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia.

References

External links

Biographical information
at MountMoriah.info {{DEFAULTSORT:Durham, Israel Wilson 1855 births 1909 deaths 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians American political bosses from Pennsylvania Burials at Mount Moriah Cemetery (Philadelphia) Politicians from Philadelphia Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators Philadelphia Phillies owners

Early life

Career

Further reading

References

External links