John Van Dyke (April 3, 1807 – December 24, 1878) was an American jurist and
Whig Party politician who represented in the
United States House of Representatives
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 ...
from 1847 to 1851.
Early life
He was born on April 3, 1807 in the
Lamington section of
Bedminster Township in
Somerset County, New Jersey. He was a son of Abraham Van Dyke and Sarah (
née Honeyman) Van Dyke.
After completing his preparatory and law studies, Van Dyke was admitted to the Bar in 1836.
Career
He began practice in
New Brunswick, New Jersey.
In 1841, Van Dyke became prosecuting attorney of
Middlesex County. A few years later, in 1846–1847, he served as president of the
Bank of New Jersey at New Brunswick, while also serving as
Mayor of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Van Dyke's political career also began in 1847; he was elected to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses as a
Whig. He served until March 3, 1851. Van Dyke declined re-nomination for another term, choosing instead to continue his law practice. He was a delegate to the
1856 Republican National Convention
The 1856 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 17 to June 19 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the first national nominating convention of the Republican Party, which had been founded two ...
, and from 1859 to 1866 he served as a judge on the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...
.
In 1868, Van Dyke moved to
Wabasha, Minnesota
Wabasha is a city and the county seat of Wabasha County, Minnesota. The population was 2,559 at the time of the 2020 census. It is on the Mississippi River, near its confluence with the Zumbro River.
Name
Wabasha is named after the Mdewakanto ...
, where he went on to serve in the
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...
from 1872 to 1873 and a judge of the third judicial district from 1873 to 1878.
Personal life
On October 7, 1841, Van Dyke was married to Mary Dix Strong (1819–1873), a daughter of prominent mathematician and professor
Theodore Strong.
His wife was the aunt of
New Jersey State Senator Theodore Strong. Together, they were the parents of nine children, four of whom died in infancy:
* Theodore Strong Van Dyke (b. 1842), a Princeton graduate and lawyer who married Lois A. Funk.
* John Van Dyke (1844–1845), who died young.
* Abraham Van Dyke (1847–1848), who died young.
* John Van Dyke (1849–1850), who died young.
* Frederick William Van Dyke (b. 1852), a doctor who married Minnie E. Comstock in 1878.
* Robert Van Dyke (1854–1885), a lawyer who married Mary Westphal.
* John Charles Van Dyke (b. 1856), who was the librarian of Sage Library in
New Brunswick, New Jersey.
* Mary Augusta Van Dyke (1859–1860), who died young.
* Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke (1862–1889), who married Laura Winston (1867–1951).
Van Dyke died in Wabasha, Minnesota on December 24, 1878. He is interred in Wabasha's
Riverview Cemetery.
Descendants
Through his son Woodbridge, he was the grandfather of film director and writer
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II, (known as
W. S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including '' Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Franc ...
),
who received two
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations for Best Director.
References
External links
John Van Dykeat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Dyke, John
1807 births
1878 deaths
Mayors of New Brunswick, New Jersey
Minnesota state senators
Justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey
People from Bedminster, New Jersey
People from Wabasha, Minnesota
Minnesota Republicans
New Jersey Republicans
Burials in Minnesota
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American judges