Joseph Benton Donley (October 10, 1838 – January 23, 1917) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Biography

Joseph Benton Donley was born in

Mount Morris, Pennsylvania Mount Morris is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Perry Township, near I-79. As of the 2010 census the population was 737. Geography Mount Morris is locat ...

. He completed preparatory studies, and graduated from Waynesburg College (now

Waynesburg University Waynesburg University is a private university in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1850 and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. The university enrolls over 2,500 students, including ...

) in

Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Waynesburg is a borough in and the county seat of Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States, located about south of Pittsburgh. Its population was 3,987 at the 2020 census. The region around Waynesburg is underlaid with several layers of co ...

in 1859. He was a member of the faculty of Abingdon College in

Abingdon, Illinois Abingdon is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States, west of Peoria. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city was first settled in 1828 and was incorporated in 1857. In june of 1907, the patent for the commo ...

, from 1860 to 1862. He entered the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

as a captain in the

83rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 83rd Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 83rd Illinois Infantry was organized at Monmouth, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on Augu ...

, in 1862 and served throughout the war. He graduated from the

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at Al ...

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...

, in 1866. He was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. He served as a referee in bankruptcy in 1867 and 1868. Donley was elected as a

to the Forty-first Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

. He resumed the practice of his profession in Waynesburg and died there in 1917 at the age of 78. Interment in Green Mount Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
Joseph Benton Donley entry
at

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 ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donley, Joseph Benton 1838 births 1917 deaths Albany Law School alumni Pennsylvania lawyers People from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Union Army officers Waynesburg University alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Pennsylvania