Eliot, Thomas Dawes

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Alumni

Thomas Dawes Eliot (1808-70) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, March 20, 1808, and died in New Bedford, Massachusetts, June 12, 1870. He earned an A.B. in 1825 and an A.M. in 1829 from Columbian College (the former name of what became The George Washington University in 1904). He was one of the speakers at the first commencement of the college. He studied law in Washington and New Bedford, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar.

After being a member of both houses of the legislature, he was elected to Congress as a Whig, to fill the unexpired term of Zeno Scudder, serving from April 17, 1854 to March 3, 1855, and making an eloquent speech on the Kansas Nebraska bill, which was published (Washington, 1854). He was prominent in the Free-soil convention at Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1855, and on the dissolution of the Whig party was active among the founders of the Republican Party in Massachusetts. He declined its nomination for attorney general in 1857, but was afterward elected to Congress again for five successive terms, serving from 1859-69. Mr. Eliot took an active part in the proceedings of the house, particularly in the legislation on the protection and well-being of African-Americans.

See also: RG0031 for Eliot's college notebook

Document Information

Images: 1
Photographic Credit: RG0031/Eliot notebook
Author or Source: Bricks Without Straw; Famous Americans.net [1]
Document Location: University Archives
Date Added to Encyclopedia: December 21, 2006
Prepared by: Lyle Slovick, Assistant University Archivist

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