William Pinkney Whyte
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William Pinkney Whyte (August 9, 1824March 17, 1908), a member of the
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, was a politician who served the
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as a State Delegate, the State
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, a
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, the 35th
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, the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, and the State
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.


Early life and education

Whyte was born in
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, the son of Joseph and Isabella White (he later changed his surname to Whyte following a family disagreement). His paternal grandfather was the physician and exiled United Irishman, John Campbell White. His maternal grandfather,
William Pinkney William Pinkney (March 17, 1764February 25, 1822) was an American statesman and diplomat, and was appointed the seventh U.S. Attorney General by President James Madison. Biography William Pinkney was born in 1764 in Annapolis in the Province ...
, had been a famous
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politician, administrator, and diplomat. Whyte's early education involved instruction by a private tutor, who had been personal secretary to
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. From 1842 to 1844, Whyte was unable to attend college as a result of his family's poor financial situation, and began work at the banking firm of Peabody, Riggs and Co. in Baltimore. He began to study law in Baltimore at the law office of Brown and Brune for one year before being admitted to the law school of
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in 1844. Whyte returned to Baltimore in 1845 for further study, and was admitted to the
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soon after in 1846.


Political career

From 1847 to 1849, Whyte served one term as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. In 1850, Whyte was unsuccessful in a bid for election to the 32nd Congress. From 1853 to 1855, he served one term as
Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
of the State Treasury of Maryland, for which he was credited for introducing a more simplified financial system to the State. In 1857, Whyte was again nominated to serve in Congress. He was defeated, but brought forth evidence before the
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of fraud and corruption regarding the election. The House did not concur on whether or not he should have been appointed, however. After nearly a decade out of the political arena, Whyte was asked by then-governor
Thomas Swann Thomas Swann (February 3, 1809 – July 24, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician who also was President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as it completed track to Wheeling and gained access to the Ohio River Valley. Initially a Know-No ...
to fill the remainder of resigning senator
Reverdy Johnson Reverdy Johnson (May 21, 1796February 10, 1876) was a statesman and jurist from Maryland. He gained fame as a defense attorney, defending notables such as Sandford of the Dred Scott case, Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter at his court-martial, and Mary ...
's term from July 13, 1868, to March 3, 1869. During his short tenure as senator, Whyte steadfastly supported the embattled
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, and also supported easing the tension on the Southern states during
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. He chose not to be a candidate for re-election in 1868, however. In 1872, Whyte was elected Governor of Maryland, defeating Republican challenger
Jacob Tome Jacob Tome (August 13, 1810 – March 16, 1898) was an American banker, philanthropist, and politician who died as one of the richest men in the United States. He was the first millionaire of Cecil County, Maryland and an accomplished phi ...
. In the election of 1874, Whyte was elected by the legislature as a Democrat to the United States Senate and accordingly resigned from the position of governor. In 1874, in between his terms as governor and senator, he served as counsel for Maryland before the arbitration board in the boundary dispute between
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and Maryland. During this tenure as senator, Whyte opposed paying the nation's debt with silver and gold instead of solely gold, and served as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Printing (46th Congress). In the election of 1880, Whyte chose not to run for re-election, due to family illness and strife between him and his counterpart senator, Arthur P. Gorman. Whyte was elected unopposed to be mayor of Baltimore in 1881. At the conclusion of his term in 1883, Whyte chose to go back to practicing law. From 1887 to 1891, Whyte was Attorney General of Maryland, and from 1900 to 1903, the Baltimore City Solicitor. In 1906, Whyte was appointed by Maryland Governor
Edwin Warfield Edwin Warfield (May 7, 1848March 31, 1920) was an American politician and a member of the United States Democratic Party, and the 45th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1904 to 1908. Early life Edwin Warfield was born to Alber ...
to fill the Senate seat vacancy caused by the death of Arthur P. Gorman. At 25 years, 3 months, 5 days since his last day in the chamber, Whyte's return set the all-time mark for the longest gap in service to the U.S. Senate. Whyte served as senator until his unexpected death in Baltimore, and is buried in
Greenmount Cemetery Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as man ...
.


See also

*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49) There are several lists of United States Congress members who died in office. These include: * List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899) *List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–1949) *List o ...


References


Sources

*Frank F. White, Jr., The Governors of Maryland 1777-1970 (Annapolis: The Hall of Records Commission, 1970), 179–183.
William Pinkney Whyte, late a senator from Maryland, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1909


Further reading

*Tracy Matthew Melton, ''Hanging Henry Gambrill: The Violent Career of Baltimore's Plug Uglies, 1854-1860'' (2005). Includes information on Whyte's early legal and political careers. {{DEFAULTSORT:Whyte, William Pinkney 1824 births 1908 deaths Politicians from Baltimore Democratic Party United States senators from Maryland Democratic Party governors of Maryland Maryland Attorneys General Comptrollers of Maryland Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates Mayors of Baltimore Harvard Law School alumni Burials at Green Mount Cemetery 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians