William Dunlap Simpson (October 27, 1823December 26, 1890) was the 78th

governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

from February 26, 1879, when the previous governor,

Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people: People *Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman *Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812 *W ...

, resigned to take his seat in the

U.S. 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 powe ...

, until 1880. That year Simpson resigned to become Chief Justice of the

South Carolina Supreme Court The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.

. Born in Laurens District, South Carolina, in 1823, he was educated at South Carolina College (later the University of South Carolina), completing his studies in 1843, and spent one term at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

. He practiced law in Laurens with his partner (and father-in-law) Henry Clinton Young. As of 1860, Simpson enslaved 31 people at his properties in Laurens. He served in the

South Carolina legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...

in the 1850s and early 1860s, and in the

Confederate States House of Representatives The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned w ...

from 1863 to 1865. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Simpson returned to practice law in Laurens until 1876, when he ran successfully for the post of

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. That year Democrats regained control of the state legislature and the governorship. He was re-elected in 1878. Upon

resigning from the governorship to assume his US Senate seat (to which he was elected by the state legislature), Simpson was elevated to become the 78th governor of South Carolina. In 1880 he resigned after being appointed Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court. He served for ten years from 1880 until his death in 1890. He is buried at the Laurens City Cemetery.

Legacy and honors

*The William Dunlap Simpson House was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1974.

References

External links

SCIway Biography of William Dunlap Simpson

Simpson's papers at the University of North Carolina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, William Dunlap 1823 births 1890 deaths Harvard Law School alumni University of South Carolina alumni Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from South Carolina 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees Chief Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court People from Laurens, South Carolina 19th-century American judges