William A. Wheeler

William Almon Wheeler (* June 30, 1819 in Malone, Franklin County, New York, † June 4, 1887 ) was an American politician and from 1877 to 1881 the 19th Vice President of the United States.

Life

Wheeler graduated from Franklin Academy in his hometown of Malone and the University of Vermont in Burlington. Between 1845, the year of his admission to the bar, and in 1849 he was district attorney in Franklin County. Then he went into politics and was from 1850 to 1851, first deputy in the New York State Assembly; then he sat for a few years in the Senate of that State. As a Republican candidate he was in 1861 elected to the House of Representatives of the United States. Overall, he was from 1861 to 1863 and from 1869 to 1877 deputy in the Congress in Washington. Despite his political offices he gained no great reputation in all these years.

Wheeler was set up by the Republicans as embarrassment candidate for the post of vice president in the run-up to the presidential elections in 1876 and held office after defeating the Democrats Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks 1877 to 1881 during the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes. This was surprised by the nomination of Wheeler at the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati and had to ask once who this Wheeler unless at all.

After the end of his tenure, Wheeler retired for health reasons from public life.