Biography

11/27/1827 - 05/27/1896

William Andrew Wallace (D20) Blair, Cambria, Clearfield Counties 1863-1864 (D23) Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Forest Counties 1865-1871 (D18) Cambria, Clearfield and Clinton Counties 1872-1874 (D34) Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Elk Counties 1875 (D34) Cambria, Clearfield and Clinton Counties (D34) Cambria, Clearfield and Clinton Counties 1883-1886

Early Life:

William Andrew Wallace, born November 27, 1827, Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; son of Robert and Jane Hemphill Wallace; Clearfield Academy; teacher, Clearfield Academy, read law admitted, Clearfield bar, 1847; married, Margaret A. Shaw, 1848, children, Mary Jane Wallace Krebs, Edgar Shaw Wallace, Harry Frank Wallace, William Ellerslie Wallace, Bishop Leslie Wallace, Augusta Lena Wallace Wrigley, Margaret Helen Wallace Smith; captain, Clearfield Guards, 1854; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1862-1875; delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1864; Chairman, State Democratic Convention, 1865-1871; delegate, at large, Baltimore Convention, 1872; Chair, Pennsylvania delegation, Saint Louis Democratic Convention, 1876; elected, Democrat, United States Senate, 1875-1881; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate,1882-1887; resumed law practice; died, May 22, 1896 (aged 68) New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York; interment, Hillcrest Cemetery, Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Teacher, read law with his father, attorney, Robert Wallace, 1847; captain, Clearfield Guards, 1854; member, Pennsylvania Peace Democrats, United States Civil War; purchased, Smith Mines from Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin, 1864, renamed, Wallace Mines. Speculated, land adjacent to the Logan Coal Company, developed the Logan Colliery, 1871, sold 1878; vice president, Texas and Pacific Railroad, 1872.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Board of directors, Clearfield County Bank, 1865; Clearfield School Director; president, Beech Creek Railroad; director, Clearfield Cemetery Corporation; co-owner, Wallaceton Brick Company.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 20th district, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield Counties, 1862-1865. 

Delegate, Democratic National Convention, 1864.

Chair, State Democratic Convention, 1865-1871.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 23rd district, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk and Forest Counties, 1865-1871; defeated, Louis W. Hall; Speaker of the Senate, defeated, interim Speaker Harry White, 1871; committee assignments, Library. 

Delegate, at large, Baltimore Convention, 1872. 

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 18th district, Cambria, Clearfield and Clinton Counties, 1872-1874; committee assignments, Constitutional Reform, subcommittee, No.4, 1874, Finance, Judiciary General; member of the commission to suggest amendments to the constitution of Pennsylvania, 1874.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 34th district, Centre, Clearfield and Clinton Counties, 1875; committee assignment, Constitutional Reform and Finance.

Chair, Pennsylvania delegation, Saint Louis Democratic Convention, 1876. 

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 34th district, Cambria, Clearfield, Clinton and Counties,1883-1886; committee assignments, Congressional Apportionment, Finance, Judiciary (General), Judiciary (Special), Legislative Apportionment, Mines and Mining.

Unsuccessful campaigns, Governor, 1886, 1890.

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Elected, Democrat, United States Senate, 44th, 45th, 46th Congresses, 1875-1881, Chairman, Senate Democratic Caucus, 45th, 46th Congresses, 1877-1881, Chairman, Committee for the Revision of the Laws of the United States, 46th Congress; unsuccessful campaign, United States Senate, 1880.

Legacy: 

Successfully represented Ynicencio Casinova against the Derby Coal Company, collecting the largest fraud settlement in the history of the state (to that point, $285,000).

Accepted high profile murder-case appeal, Martin Turner v. Commonwealth. Lower courts refused to hear appeal, pursued the matter to the state Supreme Court; resulting in a change of venue, a new trial, and a not guilty verdict.

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members W". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1868). Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 276, 280-282.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1871). Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 428, 430, 436-438.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1874). Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 519, 521, 525-527.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1875). Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 602, 606-608.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1875). Smull, J.A., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 602, 606-608.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1885). Smull, W.P., (Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 844, 849-851, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 814.

William Andrew Wallace (1827-1896) - Find a Grave Memorial