Joseph Henry Walker (December 21, 1829 – April 3, 1907) was a member of the

United States 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Early life

He was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

on December 21, 1829. He moved with his parents to Hopkinton and to

. He attended the public schools and engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes. He was a member of the common council of Worcester 1852–1854; Walker established the business of manufacturing leather in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1868.

Career

He served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

, and was elected 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 ...

to the Fifty-first and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1899). He served as chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency (Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1898 to the Fifty-sixth Congress.

Death

Walker resumed his former business pursuits, and died in Worcester on April 3, 1907. His interment was in the

Rural Cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

. Walker Hall at

Worcester Academy Worcester Academy is a private school in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the oldest educational institution founded in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducational prepara ...

is named in his honor for service to the Academy, where he served for 35 years as second president of the board of Trustees and as a devoted benefactor. The Academy owns a large painting of Walker by noted American portrait painter Edwin Tryon Billings. That painting hangs in Walker Hall. A marble bust of Walker, created by famous American sculptor

Randolph Rogers Randolph Rogers (July 6, 1825 in Waterloo, New York – January 15, 1892 in Rome, Italy) was an American Neoclassical sculptor. An expatriate who lived most of his life in Italy, his works ranged from popular subjects to major commissions, includ ...

, is also on display in the Academy's Alumni House.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Joseph H. Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Worcester, Massachusetts 1829 births 1907 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts Politicians from Boston Burials at Rural Cemetery (Worcester, Massachusetts) 19th-century American politicians