George Harman Durand (February 21, 1838 – June 8, 1903) was a politician, jurist, and attorney from

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Biography

Durand was born in Cobleskill, New York. He attended the common schools and

Genesee Wesleyan Seminary The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York. The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary (I) was founded in 1831 by the Genesee Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The plan for its ...

at Lima, New York. Durand moved to

Oxford, Michigan Oxford is a village in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,436 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. The village is located within Oxford Charter Township, Michigan, Oxford Towns ...

, in 1856, where he taught school, studied law, and was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

Career

Durand commenced practice at

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

, in 1858, where he was also a member of the board of education and a member of the board of aldermen, from 1862 to 1867. He was the mayor of Flint in 1873 and 1874. In 1874, Durand was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

Michigan's 6th congressional district Michigan's 6th congressional district is a United States congressional district in southeast Michigan. In 2022, the district was redrawn to be centered around Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, as well as western and southern Wayne County, small ...

to the

44th United States Congress The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. ) , image_sk ...

, serving from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877. In 1876, he lost in the general election to Republican

Mark S. Brewer Mark Spencer Brewer (October 22, 1837 – March 18, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served four terms over two different stints in United States Congress , Congress between 1877 and 1891. Early li ...

. Durand resumed his law practice. In 1892, he was one of Michigan's

Presidential Electors The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

. He was appointed Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 1892, and was subsequently defeated for election to the court in 1893 by

Frank A. Hooker Frank A. Hooker (January 16, 1844 – July 10, 1911) was an American jurist. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Hooker was trained to be a stone mason. He then studied at University of Michigan Law School and graduated in 1865. He practiced law i ...

. Durand was president of the State board of law examiners for many years and was appointed special assistant United States attorney in Chinese and opium smuggling cases in Oregon, serving from 1893 to 1896.

Death and legacy

Durand died in Flint and is interred in Glenwood Cemetery there. In 1876, the community of

Durand, Michigan Durand is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,446 at the 2010 census. Nicknamed "Railroad City, USA", it is best known for its large train station which was a major hub for the Grand Trunk Western and ...

, was named after him.

References

External links

*
History of Durand, Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durand, George Harman 1838 births 1903 deaths 1892 United States presidential electors Mayors of Flint, Michigan Michigan city council members Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court Burials at Glenwood Cemetery (Flint, Michigan) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan People from Cobleskill, New York 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges