Philip Richard Fendall

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Philip Richard Fendall, Jr. (December 18, 1794 - February 16, 1867) served as District Attorney of Washington, D.C. from 1841 to 1845 and again from 1849 to 1853.

Circa 1860, he had entered into an agreement with the Joint Committee of Congress whereupon he was to edit, revise and index the correspondence of President James Madison. Erudite and precocious, Fendall matriculated to Princeton University in 1812 where he excelled at forensics and belonged to several clubs and debating societies. His academic performance was excellent and he graduated with honors in 1815.

Upon his return to Alexandria, Virginia following his graduation, he secured a position working in the law practice of his uncle, Richard Bland Lee. Besides his law practice in Alexandria, Fendall briefly served as the Captain of Infantry of the local District of Columbia Militia and served as the Editor of the National Journal in Washington D.C. from 1824 to 1830. From 1827 to 1829, Fendall became a clerk in the U.S. State Department.

On May 1, 1829, Fendall was terminated from his position by then-Secretary of State Martin Van Buren in an early example of patronage based terminations at the State Department.