David B. Hill

David B. Hill

David Bennett Hill (born August 29, 1843 in Havana , Schuyler County , New York ; †  October 20, 1910 in Albany , New York) was an American politician and governor of the state of New York from 1885 to 1892 . Between 1892 and 1897 he represented his state in the US Senate .

Early years and political advancement

David Bennett was born in what was then Havana, New York State. The place is now called Montour Falls. After attending public schools, he studied law. In 1864 he was admitted to the bar. Then he began to work in Elmira in his new profession. In 1864 he became a lawyer for that city. Hill became a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1871 and 1872 he was a member and president of the New York State Assembly . In Elmira he was city councilor from 1880 to 1881 and mayor in 1882.

Governor of New York

Between 1882 and 1885, David Hill served as Lieutenant Governor of New York, Deputy Governor Grover Cleveland . After he was elected US President and therefore gave up his governorship, Hill had to take over his duties on January 6, 1885. After he was confirmed in the elections of 1885 and 1888, he could remain in this office until January 1, 1892. During this time, child labor protection was improved and measures were taken to protect the forests. Also during Hill's tenure, the first execution in New York using the electric chair took place.

US Senator

On January 1, 1891, David Hill was elected to the US Senate to succeed William M. Evarts . The legislative period began on March 4, 1891. Hill did not take up his new office immediately, but only ended his term as governor. He did not take up his mandate in Congress until January 7, 1892. In the Senate he was chairman of the immigration committee. While he was still in Washington, DC , Hill ran unsuccessfully for another term as governor in 1894. He did not run for the next congressional elections. Therefore, he resigned from the Senate on March 3, 1897.

After the end of his time as a senator, he retired from politics and worked as a lawyer. David Hill died on October 20, 1910 and was buried in Montour Falls.

Web links

Commons : David B. Hill  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• David Hill in the National Governors Association (English)
• David B. Hill in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• David B. Hill in the database of Find a Grave (English)