Theodore E. Hancock (May 30, 1847 – November 19, 1916) was an American lawyer and politician. He was New York's Attorney General from 1894 to 1898.

Biography

He was born on May 30, 1847, in

Granby, New York Granby is a town in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 6,821 at the 2010 census. The Town of Granby is in the southwest corner of the county. History The town was first settled ''circa'' 1792. Granby was created in 181 ...

, to Freeman Hancock and Mary Williams. He graduated from Falley Seminary in

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

in 1867, and from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

in 1871. He then studied law at the Columbia University Law School, and graduated with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1873. In 1873, he commenced practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

in the office of ''Bangs & North''. A few years later, he removed to Syracuse, New York, and opened the office of ''Gilbert & Hancock''. In 1879, he established the firm of ''Hancock, Beach, Peck and Devine'' in Syracuse. His son Stewart F. Hancock was considered the "modern-day founder of the firm", and his grandson Stewart F. Hancock Jr. rejoined the firm in 1994 after serving on the New York Court of Appeals. He was a Justice of the Peace; and was District Attorney of

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...

from 1889 to 1892. He was

New York Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government o ...

from 1894 to 1898, elected at the New York state election, 1893, and re-elected at the New York state election, 1895 on the

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 ...

ticket. In 1897,

conferred on him the honorary degree of

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

(LL.D.). In 1899, he ran for Mayor of Syracuse, New York. He died on November 19, 1916, in Syracuse, New York.

Personal life

He was married on June 7, 1882, to Martha B. Connelly of

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...

, and had three children: * Stewart F. Hancock (born April 4, 1883) - Graduated from

in 1905 and Syracuse University Law School in 1907. He was admitted to the bar in 1907 and practiced law as a member of the firm of ''Hancock, Hogan & Hancock''. * Clarence Eugene Hancock (born February 13, 1885) - Graduated from

in 1906 and

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

in 1908. Admitted to the bar in 1908 and a member of the firm ''Hancock, Spriggs and Hancock''.

United States Congressman 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 ...

for New York's 35th District, 1927-1945.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil–military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Syracuse, New York, and south of Watertown. Operated by the Syracuse Department of Aviation, it is located off Interstate 81, ...

is named after him * Martha Hancock - Educated at Syracuse University and

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. History The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Ge ...

Biography

Personal life

References

Further reading