Samuel Wardell Williams (February 7, 1851 – August 5, 1913) was an American judge who is best known for being the Populist Party's nominee for

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

in the election of 1908.

Biography

Williams was born in

Mount Carmel, Illinois Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the population was 7,284, and it is the largest city in the county. The next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, po ...

in 1851. At some point, he moved to Indiana and became a judge. In

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library syst ...

, he was one of the candidates for the Populist Party's nomination for President and served as chairman of the Populist Committee. He came in third place at the convention, receiving 45 votes on the first ballot. Thomas E. Watson received 698 votes, and William V. Allen received 319. Williams served in the Indiana House of Representatives and was 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 ...

at the time of his election to the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. Th ...

. In 1908, Williams was the vice presidential nominee of the Populist Party, running with Thomas E. Watson. They received 28,862 votes (0.19%), performing best in Watson's home state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, where they received upwards of 12%. Williams died of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a ru ...

on August 5, 1913, in

Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur ...

, at the age of 62. He is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Vincennes.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Samuel Wardell 1851 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American judges 20th-century American judges Illinois Populists Indiana Populists Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Mount Carmel, Illinois People from Mount Carmel, Illinois People from Vincennes, Indiana 1908 United States vice-presidential candidates Deaths from appendicitis