George N. Southwick (original) (raw)

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American journalist and politician

George N. Southwick
From 1896's Illustrated Congressional Manual
Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom New York
In officeMarch 4, 1901 – March 3, 1911
Preceded by	Martin H. Glynn
Succeeded by	Henry S. De Forest
Constituency	20th district (1901–1903)23rd district (1903–1911)
In officeMarch 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by	Charles Tracey
Succeeded by	Martin H. Glynn
Constituency	20th district
Personal details
Born	(1863-03-07)March 7, 1863Albany, New York, U.S.
Died	October 17, 1912(1912-10-17) (aged 49)Albany, New York
Resting place	Albany Rural Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Williams College
Occupation	Journalist
Signature

George Newell Southwick (March 7, 1863 – October 17, 1912) was an American journalist and politician from Albany, New York. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1895 to 1911.

George N. Southwick was born in Albany, New York on March 7, 1863, the son of Henry Collins Southwick and Margaret Julia (Fraser) Southwick.[1] His extended family had been prominent in newspaper publishing and printing for several generations, and included Solomon Southwick (1773–1839) and Solomon Southwick (1731–1897).[2]

Southwick attended Albany's School Number 6 as well as private schools in the city, and he graduated from Albany High School in 1879.[1] He then attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1884. He attended the Albany Law School, but left before graduating so he could begin a career in journalism.[1]

In 1885, Southwick began work as a reporter for the Albany Morning Express.[1] From 1886 to 1888, he covered the state legislature for the Associated Press.[1] In 1888 he became managing editor of Albany's Morning Express. In 1889 he was appointed managing editor of the Albany Evening Journal, where he worked until 1895.[1] Southwick was also active in politics as a Republican and contributed numerous magazine and newspaper articles in support of Republican candidates.[1] He supported James G. Blaine for president in 1884, and Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and gave speeches on their behalf throughout New York.[1] Southwick was a longtime friend of party leaders William Barnes Jr. and James S. Sherman, which aided his entry into elective office.[3]

In 1892, South was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Representative from New York's 20th District.[1] In 1894, he was elected to the 54th Congress.[1] He was reelected to the 55th Congresses and served from March 4, 1895, to March 3, 1899.[1] In 1896, Southwick was chairman of the Republican State convention.[1] He was a candidate for reelection to Congress in 1898, and lost to Martin H. Glynn.[1]

In 1900, Southwick defeated Glynn for election to the 57th Congress.[1] Following redistricting after the 1900 census, Southwick was reelected four times from the 23rd District.[1] He served from March 4, 1901, to March 3, 1911, and was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1910.[4] Southwick was chairman of the Committee on Education from the 58th through 60th Congresses.[4]

Retirement and death

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Southwick invested profitably during his career, and his holdings included real estate in Washington, D.C., and mining properties in Essex County, New York.[3] In retirement, he continued to reside in Albany.[4] He died in Albany on October 17, 1912,[4] and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands.[5]

Southwick never married and had no children.[4] His sister Effie was the wife of Ralph W. Thomas, a member of the New York State Senate.[4]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Henry, James S. (1911). Official Congressional Directory (Second ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 84 – via Google Books.
2. ^ Caller, James M.; Ober, Mrs. M. A. (1881). Genealogy of the Descendants of Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick of Salem, Mass. Salem, MA: J. H. Choate & Co. p. 337 – via Google Books.
3. ^ a b "Death Notice: George N. Southwick". New-York Tribune. New York, NY. October 18, 1912. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ a b c d e f Lowe, John Adams (1911). Obituary Record of the Alumni of Williams College, 1910-1911. Williamstown, MA: Williams College. pp. 152–153 – via Google Books.
5. ^ Joint Committee on Printing, United States Congress (1961). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1633 – via Google Books.

• United States Congress. "George N. Southwick (id: S000691)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• George N. Southwick at Find a Grave