Overview
William Dennison Jr. (1815–1882) was an influential lawyer and politician from Ohio. He graduated from Miami University in 1835 and began practicing law in Columbus. He entered politics, calling for social reform and the repeal of Ohio’s “Black Laws. As Ohio’s 24th Governor, he opposed the Fugitive Slave Act, supported Union efforts during the Civil War, and contributed to the formation of West Virginia. Later, Dennison served as Postmaster General under President Abraham Lincoln and chaired the 1864 Republican National Convention. His later years included public service in Washington, D.C., and an unsuccessful Senate bid.
Personal Facts
- Full Name: William Dennison, Jr.
- Born: November 23, 1815, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Parents: William and Mary (Carter) Dennison
- Education: Miami University (1835)
- Occupation: Lawyer, Politician
- Positions: Governor of Ohio, Postmaster General of the United States
- Spouse: Anne Eliza Neil
- Died: June 15, 1882, Columbus, Ohio
- Buried: Greenlawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio
Biography
Early Life and Education
William Dennison, Jr., was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 23, 1815. He was the son of William and Mary (Carter) Dennison. As a youth, Dennison worked in the family woolen business. In 1835, he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, at the age of nineteen years. Dennison then studied law in the Cincinnati office of George H. Pendleton.
Marriage
In 1840, Dennison joined the Ohio bar and moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he married Anne Eliza Neil, the daughter of local business magnate William Neil.
Lawyer and Entrepreneur
After moving to Columbus, Dennison established a law practice. While building his law practice, Dennison also became a wealthy banking and railroad entrepreneur, serving as president of the Exchange Bank in Columbus and as president of the Columbus and Xenia Railroad.
State Politician
While living in Columbus, Dennison became active in politics. As a member of the Whig Party, Franklin and Delaware County voters elected him to the Ohio Senate in 1848. As a member of the Senate, Dennison championed the repeal of Ohio’s “Black Laws,” which denied African Americans their civil rights. Dennison chose not to run for reelection at the end of his senatorial term; however, he remained active in local political and civic activities. Dennison was a founding member of the Franklin County Agricultural Society, and members selected him as the organization’s first secretary on September 6, 1851. From 1853 to 1854, Dennison represented residents of the first ward as a member of the Columbus City Council.
Governor of Ohio
In 1856, Dennison joined the fledgling Republican Party and served as an Ohio delegate to the organization’s first national convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Three years later, Ohio Republican leaders nominated Dennison as their candidate for governor of Ohio. On November 1, 1859, Dennison defeated the Democratic Party candidate, Ohio Supreme Court Judge Rufus P. Ranney, by roughly 13,000 votes, to become Ohio’s twenty-fourth governor.
Dennison took office on January 9, 1860, and served until January 13, 1862, making him the first Ohio governor to serve during the American Civil War. During the first year of his term, Dennison refused the demands of Kentucky and Virginia state authorities to extradite fugitive slaves or to punish Ohioans who violated the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
When the war began, Dennison seized control of Ohio’s railroads and telegraph lines to support Union war efforts. He also authorized the establishment of Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, a recruitment and training facility for Union volunteers, which officials named in his honor. Under Dennison’s leadership, Ohio raised over 100,000 troops and organized twenty-three three-month regiments and eighty-two three-year regiments for the Union army. In May 1861, without authorization from the federal war department, Dennison dispatched Ohio troops into western Virginia, where they guarded the First Wheeling Convention, which was contemplating the formation of the new state of West Virginia.
Loss of Leadership
As the 1861 elections neared, Dennison appeared to have lost the confidence of many Ohio voters. Dennison’s heavy-handed war measures, coupled with his staunch support of the Lincoln administration’s war efforts, alienated Peace Democrats. Dennison’s support also waned among Republicans because of disarray in Ohio’s initial war mobilization. Fearful of losing the gubernatorial election to the Peace Democrats, Republican Party leaders joined with Democrats who supported the war and formed the Union Party. With the blessing of leading Republicans, the new party nominated Democrat David Tod, instead of the incumbent governor, as its candidate for governor in 1861.
Postmaster General of the United States
Despite his failure to secure his party’s nomination for a second term as Ohio’s governor, Dennison remained active in Republican politics. In 1864, he chaired the Republican National Convention in Baltimore, which nominated incumbent President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln rewarded Dennison by naming him Postmaster General of the United States on September 24, 1864. Dennison served in that post for nearly two years before resigning because he disagreed with the Reconstruction policies of Lincoln’s successor, President Andrew Johnson.
Unsuccessful Senate Bid
After resigning from the post office, Dennison focused on his many business interests in Columbus. He returned to public service in 1874 when President Ulysses S. Grant appointed him as the first President of the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia. Dennison served on the board until 1878. Two years later, Dennison unsuccessfully opposed James A. Garfield in an effort to secure the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsement for a U.S. senatorial position.
Death
Shortly after Dennison’s failed senatorial bid, his health declined. On June 15, 1882, Dennison died at age 66 in Columbus, Ohio, following a prolonged illness. He is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1835 — William Dennison graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, at age 19.
- 1840 — Dennison was admitted to the Ohio bar and began practicing law in Columbus after studying under George H. Pendleton.
- 1848 — He was elected to the Ohio Senate, advocating for the repeal of Ohio’s restrictive “Black Laws.”
- 1851 — Dennison co-founded the Franklin County Agricultural Society, serving as its first secretary.
- 1853-1854 — He represented Columbus’ first ward on the city council.
- 1856 — Dennison joined the Republican Party and served as a delegate at its first national convention.
- 1859 — He was elected Ohio’s 24th governor, defeating Rufus P. Ranney.
- 1860-1862 — Dennison served as governor of Ohio, refusing to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act and resisting demands from pro-slavery states.
- 1861 — He directed Ohio troops into western Virginia without federal approval, supporting the formation of West Virginia.
- 1861 — Dennison raised over 100,000 troops and organized multiple regiments for the Union army; Camp Dennison was named in his honor.
- 1864 — He chaired the Republican National Convention, which re-nominated Abraham Lincoln for president.
- 1864-1866 — Dennison served as Postmaster General under President Lincoln, resigning over disagreements with Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction policies.
- 1874-1878 — He was appointed by Ulysses S. Grant as the first President of the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia.
- 1880 — Dennison unsuccessfully sought the Republican senatorial nomination against James A. Garfield.
- 1882 — He passed away in Columbus, Ohio, at age 66 after a prolonged illness.
