William Insco Buchanan (September 10, 1853 – October 17, 1909) was an American diplomat who spent much of his career in Latin America.

Early life

Buchanan was born in Covington, Ohio on September 10, 1853. He was a son of George Preston Buchanan and Mary Eliza (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Gibson) Buchanan.

Career

After receiving an education at the common schools in Ohio, he served as engrossing clerk of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

from 1874 to 1875. Buchanan moved to Sioux City, Iowa in 1882 and was an organizer of the Corn Palace Exposition there. He also organized the Academy of Music and an opera house. His work with the Sioux City Corn Palace Exposition led to his appointment as overseer of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, held in Chicago. On January 26, 1894, President Grover Cleveland (the former

mayor of Buffalo The following is a list of people who have served as mayors of the city of Buffalo in the U.S. state of New York. List of mayors Number of mayors by party affiliation History In 1853, the charter of the city was amended to include the town ...

and

governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...

) appointed Buchanan United States Minister to Argentina. He presented his credentials on May 19, 1894 and served until he left his post on July 11, 1899. He also served as arbitrator on the special commission to fix the boundary between the Chilean and Argentine governments. After William McKinley became president, he kept Buchanan on, even though he was a

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and the new president was a Republican. Once Panama separated from

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

in 1903, he was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 17, 1903 to serve as United States Minister to Panama. Buchanan presented his credentials as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary on special mission in December 1903, however, "he received new credentials as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary only a few days before he was to leave Panama and apparently did not present them. He ceased to act "on special mission," however, and conducted business in the capacity of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary until his departure."

Later career

Buchanan was Director General of the Pan-American Exposition, held in Buffalo, New York from May 1 through November 2, 1901, and is credited with the construction, operation, and dismantling of the exposition. He was chosen by

John G. Milburn John George Milburn (December 14, 1851 – August 11, 1930) was a prominent lawyer in Buffalo, New York and New York City, a president of the New York City Bar Association, and a partner at the law firm Carter Ledyard & Milburn. Early life Mi ...

, president of the exposition, as the exposition was planned with a Latin American theme and they wanted someone who knew the South American countries well. President McKinley was

assassinated Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...

at the exposition by anarchist Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901, and Roosevelt traveled to Buffalo where he was inaugurated shortly thereafter. At the time of his death, he was connected with the Westinghouse Company in London.

Personal life

Buchanan was married to Laura "Lulu" Williams (1855–1928), a daughter of John Insco Williams and Mary (née Forman) Williams. Together, they were the parents of: * Florence Buchanan (1879–1941), who married Charles Hoyt Williams. * Donald Insco Buchanan (1887–1928), a graduate of the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University. He died suddenly on October 17, 1909 while in London on business. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was heart failure. His body was returned to the United States and he was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

References

External links

William Insco Buchanan (1853–1909)
at the United States Department of State * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, William I. 1853 births 1909 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Argentina Ambassadors of the United States to Panama Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo) People from Miami County, Ohio 19th-century American diplomats 20th-century American diplomats