William Woodbridge McNair (January 4, 1836 – September 15, 1885) was a lawyer and Democratic politician who served as mayor of St. Anthony, Minnesota.

Life and career

McNair was born in Groveland, New York to William Wilson McNair and Sarah McNair (née Pierepont, a descendant of James Pierpont). He attended schools in Genesee, New York and at

Canandaigua Academy Canandaigua Academy is a high school (grades 9-12) in Canandaigua, New York, United States. It is part of the Canandaigua City School District. The school was named a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education ...

before moving to

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

in 1855 to study law under

James Rood Doolittle James Rood Doolittle (January 3, 1815July 27, 1897) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from March 4, 1857, to March 4, 1869. He was a strong supporter of President Abraham Lincoln's administration during the ...

. After two years he moved to Minneapolis where he continued his studies and gained

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1857. From 1859 to 1863 McNair served as county attorney for Hennepin County, Minnesota. Thereafter McNair formed several successive legal partnerships with local legal and political figures including

Eugene McLanahan Wilson Eugene McLanahan Wilson (December 25, 1833 – April 10, 1890) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served in various legal and political offices in Minnesota including as a member of Congress and as the fifth and seventh m ...

, William Lochren and John Gilfillan. McNair was especially well regarded as a defense attorney (though he practiced in a variety of areas). He also held a number of political offices including two terms as mayor of St. Anthony (shortly prior to its absorption into Minneapolis) from 1869 to 1871. In 1876 he was the Democratic nominee for

United States Representative 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 ...

but lost to

Jacob H. Stewart Jacob Henry Stewart (January 15, 1829 – August 25, 1884) was a Representative for the U.S. state of Minnesota. Early life and education Stewart was born in Clermont, New York, on January 15, 1829. He moved with his parents to Peekskill, N ...

. In 1883 he declined the nomination to run for governor. McNair retired in 1884 and died in 1885. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNair, William Woodbridge 1836 births 1885 deaths Minnesota lawyers Minnesota Democrats Burials at Lakewood Cemetery People from Groveland, New York Mayors of places in Minnesota 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers