George Mifflin DALLAS, Congress, PA (1792-1864)

DALLAS George Mifflin , a Senator from Pennsylvania and a vice president of the United States; born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 10, 1792; graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1810; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1813; private secretary to Albert Gallatin, Minister to Russia; returned in 1814 and commenced the practice of law in New York City; solicitor of the United States Bank 1815-1817; returned to Philadelphia and was appointed deputy attorney general in 1817; mayor of Philadelphia October 21, 1828-April 15, 1829; United States district attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania 1829-1831; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Isaac D. Barnard and served from December 13, 1831, to March 3, 1833; declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1832; chairman, Committee on Naval Affairs (Twenty-second Congress); resumed the practice of law; attorney general of Pennsylvania 1833-1835; appointed by President Martin Van Buren as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia 1837-1839, when he was recalled at his own request; elected Vice President of the United States on the Democratic ticket in 1844 with James K. Polk and served from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1849; appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain by President Franklin Pierce 1856-1861; returned to Philadelphia, and died there December 31, 1864; interment in St. Peter's Churchyard.

Bibliography

American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Ambacher, Bruce. "George M. Dallas: Leader of the 'Family' Party." Ph.D. dissertation, Temple University, 1970; Belohlavek, John M. George Mifflin Dallas: Jacksonian Patrician. State College: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1977.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present