Amasa Dana (October 19, 1792 – December 24, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician who served two non-consecutive terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1839 to 1841, and from 1843 to 1845.
Biography
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Dana was the son of Aziel Dana and Rebecca (Cory) Dana.[1] He attended private schools and Dana Academy in Wilkes-Barre,[1] studied law with his uncle Eleazer Dana in Owego, New York, attained admission to the bar in 1817 and practiced in Owego.[2][3]
Political career
Dana moved to Ithaca, New York in 1821 and continued the practice of law.[2] He served as district attorney of Tompkins County from 1823 to 1837.[4] He served as member of the New York State Assembly in 1828 and 1829.[4] He served as president and trustee of the village of Ithaca in 1835, 1836, and 1839.[4]
In 1837, Dana was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Tompkins County.[4] He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841).[4] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1840, and resumed the practice of law. From 1842 to 1843, Dana served as Ithaca's town supervisor.[4]
Tenure in Congress
Dana was elected to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845).[4] During this term, he served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Navy.[5] He resumed practicing law, and also engaged in banking and business, including serving as president of the Tompkins County National Bank.[6] He died in Ithaca, New York, on December 24, 1867.[4] He was interred in Ithaca City Cemetery.[7]
Family
In 1828, Dana married Mary Harper Speed, the daughter of Doctor Joseph Speed of Caroline, New York.[8] They had no children.[9]
References
- ^ a b Initial Ithacans, p. 35.
- ^ a b Initial Ithacans, p. 38.
- ^ Owego: Some Account of the Early Settlement of the Village in Tioga County, pp. 112–113.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Initial Ithacans, p. 36.
- ^ Congressional Directory for the First Session of the Twenty-Eighth Congress, p. 50.
- ^ Report of the Comptroller of the Currency, p. 204.
- ^ Who Was Who In America, p. 134.
- ^ Records and Memorials of the Speed Family, p. 40.
- ^ Records and Memorials of the Speed Family, p. 41.
Sources
Books
- Burns, Thomas W. (1904). Initial Ithacans. Ithaca, NY: Ithaca Journal.
- Force, William Q. (1843). Congressional Directory for the First Session of the Twenty-Eighth Congress. Washington, DC: W. Q. Force.
- Kingman, Leroy Wilson (1907). Owego: Some Account of the Early Settlement of the Village in Tioga County. Owego, NY: Owego Gazette.
- Marquis, A. N. (1963). Who Was Who In America. Chicago, IL: Marquis Who's Who, Incorporated.
- Speed, Thomas (1892). Records and Memorials of the Speed Family. Louisville, KY: Courier-Journal Job Printing Company.
- U.S. Comptroller of the Currency (1867). Report of the Comptroller of the Currency. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
External links
- United States Congress. "Amasa Dana (id: D000020)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Amasa Dana at Find a Grave
- Amasa Dana at The Political Graveyard
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
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