Wheeler, William A. (William Almon), 1819-1887

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William Almon Wheeler (June 30, 1819 – June 4, 1887) was an American politician and attorney. He served as a United States representative from New York from 1861 to 1863 and 1869 to 1877, and the 19th vice president of the United States from 1877 to 1881.

Born in Malone, New York, Wheeler pursued a legal career after attending the University of Vermont. After serving in various local positions, he won election to the New York State Legislature. He served in Congress from 1861 to 1863 and from 1869 to 1877. He was widely respected for his integrity, and refused his salary increase after Congress passed an 1873 pay raise that he opposed.

After the 1876 Republican National Convention settled on Rutherford B. Hayes as the party's presidential nominee after seven ballots, the delegates nominated Wheeler for vice president. Nominated by Congressman Luke P. Poland, Wheeler surged into an early lead over Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Marshall Jewell, and Stewart L. Woodford to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. Wheeler was nominated because he was popular among his colleagues, having worked to avoid making enemies in Congress. In addition, as a resident of the populous Eastern state of New York, he provided geographical balance to the ticket, since Hayes was from the populous Midwest state of Ohio. The Republican ticket prevailed in the contentious 1876 presidential election, though they lost the popular vote. Though they had not known each other before the convention, Wheeler and Hayes got along amicably while in office. They chose not to seek second terms, and Wheeler returned to Malone, New York after the end of his term. He died in 1887, and was buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Wheeler, William A. (William Almon), 1819-1887. Letter, 1883. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Lewis Eller Asher autograph collection, 1757-1925. Library of Congress
referencedIn Landis, Arthur H., 1917-1986. Arthur H. Landis audiotape collection, 1963-1965, 1984. Churchill County Museum
referencedIn Hayes and Wheeler Battalion. Boston, Ward 10. Hayes and Wheeler Battalion, Ward 10, Boston, Campaign of 1876. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009. Certificates of Electors of the Electoral College for Massachusetts, 1840 - 1964 National Archives at Boston
referencedIn Hale, Robert F., d. 1963,. Notebooks, 1812-1963. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Wheeler, Olin D. (Olin Dunbar), 1852-1925. Olin D. Wheeler papers, 1870-1923. Minnesota Historical Society Library
referencedIn Hayes and Wheeler Club (Dodge County, Wis.). Papers, 1876. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Autographs and signatures of Presidents of the United States, 1828-1927 Brown University, Brown University Library
creatorOf Wheeler, William A. (William Almon), 1819-1887. Letter : to M.C. Meigs, 1861 July 15. University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Library
referencedIn Owen D. Young Library. Special Collections. Miscellaneous manuscripts: M-Z, 1789-1981. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Republican Party (Ky.). Republican Party (Ky.) campaign ephemera 1876. The Filson Historical Society
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
creatorOf Wheeler, Stiles Denison, 1815-. Account book, 1849-1884. Connecticut Historical Society
creatorOf Wheeler, William Almon,. Papers, 1849-1884. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Asher, Louis Eller, 1877-1948. person
associatedWith Bessels, Emil person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Hale, Robert F., d. 1963, person
associatedWith Hayes and Wheeler Battalion. Boston, Ward 10. corporateBody
associatedWith Hayes and Wheeler Club (Dodge County, Wis.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 person
correspondedWith Hough, D. S. person
associatedWith Jewell, F. F. person
associatedWith Landis, Arthur H., 1917-1986. person
associatedWith Meigs, Montgomery C. (Montgomery Cunningham), 1816-1892. person
associatedWith Nason, H. B. person
memberOf New York (State). Legislature. Assembly corporateBody
associatedWith Online Archive of California. corporateBody
associatedWith Owen D. Young Library. Special Collections. corporateBody
associatedWith Paris Exposition corporateBody
associatedWith Republican Party (Ky.) corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House of Representatives corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Vermont corporateBody
correspondedWith Walker, J. G. person
associatedWith Wheeler, Olin D. (Olin Dunbar), 1852-1925. person
associatedWith Wheeler, Stiles Denison, 1815- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Albany NY US
Malone NY US
District of Columbia DC US
Malone NY US
Subject
Education
Banks and banking
Indian agents
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Light House Board
St. Regis Indians
Vice presidents
Occupation
Lawyers
Representatives, U.S. Congress
State politicians
State Representative
Vice presidents
Activity

Person

Birth 1819-06-30

Death 1887-06-04

Male

Americans

English

Information

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