Whitelaw Reid
| Whitelaw Reid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 28th United States Ambassador to France | |
| In office March 23, 1889 – March 25, 1892 | |
| Preceded by | Robert M. McLane |
| Succeeded by | T. Jefferson Coolidge |
| 35th United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 1905 – December 15, 1912 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph H. Choate |
| Succeeded by | Walter Hines Page |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 27, 1837 Cedarville, Ohio, USA |
| Died | December 15, 1912 (aged 75) London, England |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Politician, Editor |
| Signature |  |
Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was a U.S. politician and newspaper editor, as well as the author of a popular history of Ohio in the Civil War. He was the grandfather of prominent journalist and New York Tribune editor Whitelaw Reid.
Early life
Born on a farm near Xenia, Ohio, Reid attended Xenia Academy and went on to graduate from Miami University with honors in 1856.[1] At Miami, he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon (Kappa chapter), and lobbied for the expulsion of the six members who ultimately founded Sigma Chi.
Career
He was the longtime editor of the New York Tribune and a close friend of Horace Greeley. He was a leader of the Liberal Republican movement in 1872.
During the war he wrote under the by-line "Agate"
A Republican, he had an illustrious career as a diplomat, serving as United States Ambassador to France from 1889 to 1892, and as U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James's from 1905 to 1912.
In 1892, Reid became the Republican vice presidential nominee when President Benjamin Harrison chose to drop Vice President Levi P. Morton from the ticket. Harrison and Reid lost to the Democratic ticket of Grover Cleveland and Adlai Stevenson, as Cleveland became the first former president to recapture the office.
Reid was given a spot on the peace commission following the Spanish-American War. Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, is located on his former Westchester County estate.
Death
He died while serving as the ambassador to Britain. His body was returned to New York aboard HMS Natal. His remains are buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Publications
- After The War: A Southern Tour (May 1, 1865 to May 1, 1866.) London: Samson Low, Son, & Marston, 1866. Full text.
- Ohio in the War: Her Statesmen Generals and Soldiers. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke Co., 1895. Vol. 1 & Vol. 2.
- The Greatest Fact in Modern History. New York: Crowell, 1907. Full text.
- American and English studies. New York: Scribner, 1913. Vol. 1 (Government and Education) & Vol. 2 (Biography, History, and Journalism)
References
- ↑ American Authors 1600-1900: A Biographical Dictionary of American Literature (H. W. Wilson Co., New York, 1938)
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Whitelaw Reid. |
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Wikisource has original works written by or about: |
- Whitelaw Reid at Find A Grave
- Modern Eloquence: Vol III, After-Dinner Speeches P-Z at Project Gutenberg, contains two speeches by Reid.
- Abraham Lincoln by Whitelaw Reid
- Byron. Address at University College, Nottingham, on Speech day, 29th Nov., 1910, for the Byron chair of English literature by Whitelaw Reid
- One Welshman: a glance at a great career. Inaugural address, autumn session, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, October 31st, 1912 by Whitelaw Reid
- Our new duties: a commencement address at the seventy-fifth anniversary of Miami university, Thursday, June 15, 1899 by Whitelaw Reid
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert M. McLane |
United States Ambassador to France 1889 – 1892 |
Succeeded by T. Jefferson Coolidge |
| Preceded by Joseph H. Choate |
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1905–1912 |
Succeeded by Walter Hines Page |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Levi P. Morton |
Republican vice presidential nominee 1892 |
Succeeded by Garret Hobart |
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