Joseph Benton Donley

Joseph Benton Donley ( born October 10, 1838 in Mount Morris, Greene County, Pennsylvania, † January 23, 1917 in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician. Between 1869 and 1871 he represented the State of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Joseph Donley attended preparatory schools. In 1859 he graduated from Waynesburg College. Between 1860 and 1862 he was a teacher at Abingdon College in Illinois. Thereafter he served 1862-1865 during the Civil War in an infantry unit from Illinois, which belonged to the army of the Union. After a subsequent law degree from Albany Law School in New York State and his 1867 was admitted to the bar he began in Waynesburg to work in this profession. During 1867 and 1868 he also worked as a bankruptcy mediator.

Politically Donley was a member of the Republican Party. In the congressional elections of 1868 he was in the 24th electoral district of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of George Van Eman Lawrence on March 4, 1869. Since he has not been confirmed in 1870, he was able to complete only one term in Congress until March 3, 1871.

After his time in the U.S. House of Representatives Joseph Donley again practiced as a lawyer. Politically, he is no more have appeared. He died on January 23, 1917 in Waynesburg, where he was also buried.