George M. Dallas

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For other persons named George Dallas, see George Dallas (disambiguation).

George M. Dallas

11th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849*
President	James Knox Polk
Preceded by	John Tyler
Succeeded by	Millard Fillmore

Born	July 10, 1792 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	December 31, 1864 (aged 72) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sophia Nicklin Dallas

George Mifflin Dallas (July 10, 1792–December 31, 1864) was a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and the 11th Vice President, serving under James K. Polk.

Dallas was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1810. He was admitted to the bar in 1813 and served as private secretary to Albert Gallatin, Minister to Russia. Dallas returned in 1814 and practiced law in New York City. He was solicitor of the Second Bank of the United States from 1816 to 1817.

Dallas returned to Philadelphia and was appointed deputy attorney general in 1817. He was mayor of Philadelphia from October 21, 1828, to April 15, 1829, then served as United States Attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1831.

He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Isaac D. Barnard. Dallas served less than 15 months — from December 13, 1831, to March 4, 1833 — and declined to be a candidate for reelection. He was chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs.

Dallas resumed the practice of law, was attorney general of Pennsylvania from 1833 to 1835, and served as the Grand Master of Freemasons in Pennsylvania in 1835 [1]. He was appointed by President Martin Van Buren as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia from 1837 to 1839, when he was recalled at his own request. Dallas was 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 4, 1849.

President Franklin Pierce appointed Dallas in 1856 as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Britain, where he served until 1861, when he returned to Philadelphia. He died there in 1864 at the age of 72 and was interred in St. Peter's Churchyard. The city of Dallas, Texas (and others) are named in his honor.

Dallas was the son of U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander J. Dallas and is the great-great-granduncle of former U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. He is also the uncle of Alexander Dallas Bache.

[edit] References

"George Mifflin Dallas." Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936.
Hatfield, Mark O. George Mifflin Dallas. Vice-Presidents of the United States, 1789-1983. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1979.

[edit] Further Information

A Series of Letters Written from London by George M. Dallas

Preceded by Jospeh Watson	Mayor of Philadelphia 1828–1829	Succeeded by Benjamin W. Richards
Preceded by Charles Jared Ingersoll	U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 1829–1831	Succeeded by Henry D. Gilpin
Preceded by Isaac D. Barnard	United States Senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania 1831–1833 Served alongside: William Wilkins	Succeeded by Samuel McKean
Preceded by Ellis Lewis	Attorney General of Pennsylvania 1833–1835	Succeeded by James Todd
Preceded by John R. Clay	U.S. Minister to Russia 1837–1839	Succeeded by Churchill C. Cambreleng
Preceded by Richard Mentor Johnson, Littleton W. Tazewell, James K. Polk	Democratic Party vice presidential candidate 1844 (won)	Succeeded by William Orlando Butler
Preceded by John Tyler	Vice President of the United States March 4, 1845–March 4, 1849	Succeeded by Millard Fillmore
Preceded by James Buchanan	U.S. Minister to Britain 1856–1861	Succeeded by Charles Francis Adams, Sr.
^(a) The Democratic Party vice-presidential nominee was split this year between three candidates.