William Lyne Wilson

For other people named William Wilson, see William Wilson (disambiguation).

William Lyne Wilson
Wilson pictured in The Calyx 1898, Washington & Lee yearbook

37th United States Postmaster General
In office March 1, 1895 – March 5, 1897
President	Grover Cleveland William McKinley
Preceded by	Wilson S. Bissell
Succeeded by	James A. Gary
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895
Preceded by	John B. Hoge
Succeeded by	Alston G. Dayton
Personal details
Born	(1843-05-03)May 3, 1843 Charles Town, Virginia, USA
Died	October 17, 1900(1900-10-17) (aged 57) Lexington, Virginia, USA
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	George Washington University
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, University president
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Rank	Private
Unit	12th Virginia Cavalry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

William Lyne Wilson (May 3, 1843 – October 17, 1900) was an American politician and lawyer from West Virginia. A Bourbon Democrat, Wilson was elected to the United States Congress in 1882 and served six terms of office, ending in 1895.

Following his departure from the House of Representatives, Wilson was appointed Postmaster General of the United States by President Grover Cleveland, remaining in that cabinet-level position until 1897. After leaving government service Wilson was named President of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Biography

Early years

William Lyne Wilson was born in Charles Town, Virginia (now West Virginia) on May 3, 1843. He attended Charles Town Academy, graduated from Columbian College, today part of George Washington University, from which he graduated in 1860.^[1] He subsequently studied at the University of Virginia.^[1]

During the Civil War, he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served as a private in the 12th Virginia Cavalry.^[1]

After the war, Wilson for several years, he taught school at Columbian College during which he graduated from law school.^[1] He was admitted to the bar in 1869 and opened a private practice in Charles Town.^[1]

He was chosen as president of West Virginia University, taking office on September 4, 1882.^[1]

Political career

Wilson was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1880.^[1] He was elected a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives shortly afterwards and won reelection five times afterwards, serving from 1883 to 1895.^[1] He served as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means from 1893 to 1895 during which he co-authored the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act which slightly reduced the United States tariff rates from the numbers set by the McKinley Tariff of 1890.^[1]

After leaving Congress, Wilson was appointed Postmaster General in the cabinet of President Grover Cleveland and served from 1895 to 1897.^[1] During that time, future Secretary of War Newton D. Baker served as his private secretary. In 1896, he broke party lines by opposing the Free Silver Movement led by Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan and, like many Bourbon Democrats, backed the National Democratic candidate John McAuley Palmer who supported the traditional gold standard, limited government and opposed protectionism.

Death and legacy

After leaving office as Postmaster General, Wilson served as president of Washington and Lee University.^[1] Wilson died in Lexington, Virginia, on October 17, 1900 and was interred in Edgehill Cemetery in Charles Town.^[1]

A portion of U.S. Route 340 between Harpers Ferry and Charles Town, West Virginia, is designated the William L. Wilson Freeway in his honor.

Footnotes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "William Lyne Wilson (1843-1900)," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: 1774-Present. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Online version, accessed Nov. 2, 2015.

Works

Pensions Appropriation Bill: Speech of Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, in the House of Representatives, Tuesday, March 2, 1886. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1886.
The Tariff: Speech of Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, in the House of Representatives, Thursday, May 3, 1888. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1888.
The National Democratic Party: Its History, Principles, Achievements, and Aims. (Editor.) Baltimore, MD: H.L. Harvey and Co., 1888.
The New Trial of Popular Government: An Address Delivered before the Society of the Alumni of the University of Virginia, on Commencement Day, June 1, 1891. Charlottesville, VA, C.M. Brand, 1891.
Duties on Wool and Woolen Goods: Speech of Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, in the House of Representatives, Thursday, April 7, 1892. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1892.
"The Man, or The Platform?" (Symposium contributor.) North American Review, vol. 154, whole no. 426 (May 1892), pp. 525–529.
"The Tariff Plank at Chicago," North American Review, vol. 155 (Sept. 1892), pp. 280–286.
"The Income Tax on Corporations," North American Review, vol. 158, whole no. 446 (Jan. 1894), pp. 1–7.
The Tariff: Speech of Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, in the House of Representatives, Monday and Tuesday, January 8 and 9, 1894. Washington, DC: Capital Publishing Co., 1894.
Tariff Reform: Speeches of Hon. Charles F. Crisp, of Georgia, and Hon. William L. Wilson, of West Virginia, in the House of Representatives, Thursday, February 1, 1894. With Charles F. Crisp. Washington, DC: Hartman and Cadick, 1894.
Speech of Hon. William L. Wilson Before the Young Men's Democratic Association at Philadelphia, Pa., January 8th,1895: "Moderate and Just Taxation is the Best Achievement of Legislative Action." Boston, MA: New England Free Trade League, 1895.
The Inauguration of William Lyne Wilson, LL. D. as President of Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va., September 15, 1897. Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Co., 1897.
"The Founders of States and the Founders of Colleges," University Record, vol. 3, no. 15 (July 8, 1898), pp. 85–90.
The Cabinet Diary of William L. Wilson, 1896-1897. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1957.
A Borderland Confederate. Festus P. Summers (ed.) Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1962.

External links

Beach, Chandler B., ed. (1914). "Wilson, William Lyne". The New Student's Reference Work. Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by John B. Hoge	Member from West Virginia's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1895	Succeeded by Alston G. Dayton
Political offices
Preceded by Wilson S. Bissell	United States Postmaster General Served under: Grover Cleveland April 4, 1895 – March 5, 1897	Succeeded by James A. Gary
Academic offices
Preceded by George Washington Custis Lee	President of Washington and Lee University 1897–1900	Succeeded by Henry St. George Tucker III

United States Postmasters General

Confederal	Franklin Bache Hazard

Federal	Osgood Pickering Habersham G. Granger Meigs McLean

Cabinet level Post Office Department	Barry Kendall Niles F. Granger Wickliffe Johnson Collamer Hall Hubbard Campbell A. Brown Holt King Blair Dennison Randall Creswell Marshall Jewell Tyner Key Maynard James Howe Gresham Hatton Vilas Dickinson Wanamaker Bissell Wilson Gary Smith Payne Wynne Cortelyou Meyer Hitchcock Burleson Hays Work New W. Brown Farley Walker Hannegan Donaldson Summerfield Day Gronouski O'Brien Watson Blount

U.S. Postal Service	Blount Klassen Bailar Bolger Carlin Casey Tisch Frank Runyon Henderson Potter Donahoe Brennan

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia

1st district	Blair C. Hubbard Duval J. J. Davis B. Wilson Goff Pendleton Atkinson Pendleton Dovener W. Hubbard J. W. Davis Neely Rosenbloom Bachmann Ramsay Schiffler Ramsay Schiffler Neely Love Ramsay R. Mollohan Moore R. Mollohan A. Mollohan McKinley

2nd district	Brown, Sr. Latham Kitchen McGrew Hagans Faulkner Martin Hoge W. Wilson Dayton T. Davis Sturgiss Brown Jr. Bowers Allen Bowman Randolph M. Snyder Staggers, Sr. Benedict Staggers Jr. Wise Capito Mooney

3rd district	Whaley Polsley Witcher Hereford Kenna C. Snyder Alderson Huling Dorr Johnston Gaines Littlepage Avis Littlepage Reed Wolverton O'Brien Wolverton Hornor Edmiston Rohrbough Bailey Rohrbough Bailey Slack Hutchinson Staton Wise Rahall Jenkins

4th district	Gibson C. Hogg Jackson C. Smith Capehart Miller Freer Hughes Woodyard Hamilton Moss Woodyard Johnson Woodyard Hughes R. Hogg Johnson Ellis Burnside Neal Burnside Neal Hechler Rahall

5th district	Hughes Cooper Goodykoontz Lilly Strother Shott John Kee E. Kee James Kee

6th district	Littlepage Echols Taylor England J. Smith Hedrick Byrd Slack

At-large	Sutherland

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means

Fitzsimons W. Smith Harper Griswold Randolph Clay G. Campbell Eppes Bacon Cheves Eppes Lowndes S. Smith McLane Randolph McDuffie Verplanck Polk Cambreleng J. W. Jones Fillmore McKay Vinton Bayly Houston L. Campbell J. G. Jones Phelps Sherman Stevens Morrill Schenck Hooper Dawes Morrison Wood Tucker Kelley Morrison R. Mills McKinley Springer Wilson Dingley Payne Underwood Kitchin Fordney Green Hawley Collier Doughton Knutson Doughton Reed Cooper W. Mills Ullman Rostenkowski Gibbons Archer Thomas Rangel Levin Camp Ryan Johnson Brady

Cabinet of President Grover Cleveland (1893–97)

Secretary of State	Walter Q. Gresham (1893–95) Richard Olney (1895–97)

Secretary of the Treasury	John Griffin Carlisle (1893–97)

Secretary of War	Daniel S. Lamont (1893–97)

Attorney General	Richard Olney (1893–95) Judson Harmon (1895–97)

Postmaster General	Wilson S. Bissell (1893–95) William Lyne Wilson (1895–97)

Secretary of the Navy	Hilary A. Herbert (1893–97)

Secretary of the Interior	Hoke Smith (1893–96) David R. Francis (1896–97)

Secretary of Agriculture	J. Sterling Morton (1893–97)

Presidents of West Virginia University

Martin (1867–1875)
Thompson (1877–1881)
Wilson (1882–1883)
Turner (1885–1893)
Goodknight (1895–1897)
Raymond (1897–1901)
Purinton (1901–1911)
Hodges (1911–1914)
Trotter (1916–1928)
Turner (1928–1934)
Boucher (1935–1938)
Lawall (1939–1945)
Stewart (1946–1958)
Stahr (1959–1962)
Miller (1962–1966)
Harlow (1967–1977)
Budig (1977–1981)
Heflin (1981)
Gee (1981–1985)
Reinhard (1985–1986)
Bucklew (1986–1995)
Hardesty (1995–2007)
Garrison (2007–2008)
Magrath (2008–2009)
Clements (2009–2013)
Gee (2014– )

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 55819933 LCCN: n93016082 US Congress: W000623

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