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William A. Wheeler was an American politician and attorney who served as a U.S. representative from New York and the 19th vice president of the United States under Rutherford B. Hayes. He was known for his integrity, his opposition to a salary increase for Congress, and his role in the 1876 presidential election.
William A. Wheeler was the 19th vice president of the United States (1877–81) who, with Republican President Rutherford B. Hayes, took office by the decision of an Electoral Commission appointed to rule on contested electoral ballots in the 1876 election.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
William A. Wheeler was an American statesman who became the 19th Vice President of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881, in the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes.
Learn about the life and career of William Almon Wheeler, who served as vice president under Rutherford B. Hayes from 1877 to 1881. He was a Republican politician from New York, known for his honesty and compromise in the disputed Louisiana election of 1876.
- A Lifetime of Bad Health Is Born
- Admitted to The Bar
- New York State Assembly
- House of Representatives
- The "Wheeler compromise."
- Wheeler Steers Clear of Railroad Scandal
- Reluctant Candidate
- Vice President of The United States
Many believe that William was scarred by his father's bad health and became neurotically obsessed with his own health. After scrimping to save for college, and with the help of a loan from a friend, William attended the University of Vermont in Burlington until an eye infection caused him to drop out after two years.
Returning to Malone, William taught school, studied law and was admitted to the bar as an attorney in 1845. He married a former student, Mary King, on 17 September 1845. Wheeler became town clerk at the age of 21. He later said that the 30 dollars a year he earned"were of more value to me than the thousands I have since attained."During this time h...
In 1849 he was elected as a Whig to the New York State Assembly, where he chaired the ways and means committee and served a successful two terms. In 1857 Wheeler was elected to the New York State Senate as a Republican and served as its president pro tempore. During this time, Wheeler also conducted a private law practice until "throat trouble" int...
In 1860 he was elected to the House of Representatives, serving in the United States Congress from 1861-63, where he gave unswerving support to President Lincoln. In 1867 Wheeler was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention, of which he was President.
He then served in the national House of Representatives again from 1869 until 1877. During this time, he authored the "Wheeler Compromise" by which the difficulties between contending political factions in Louisiana came to a workable solution over a disputed election. Fifty-six people had been killed in the streets of New Orleans when President Gr...
During Wheeler's time in Congress, Iowa Representative Oakes Ames, acting as an agent for the Crédit Mobilier, the construction company for the Union Pacific Railroad, began spreading railroad stock among high-ranking members of Congress, "where it would do the most good." Wheeler not only refused all stocks offerd to him, but resigned his chairman...
Wheeler was happy and content as a member of Congress and his only ambition was to someday become Speaker of the House. However, because of his strong moral character, Republicans wanted him to run for president or vice president. Wheeler refused to campaign, declining all invitations from the Republicans to speak, citing his frailty and insomnia a...
Despite his reluctance, when Rutherford B. Hayes was nominated for the Presidency in 1876, Wheeler was chosen unanimously as his running mate and installed in office through the decision of the Electoral Commission. Wheeler served as Vice President of the United States from 1877-1881. President Hayes and his family became close to Wheeler on a pers...
- Male
- June 30, 1819
- Mary (King) Wheeler
- June 4, 1887
William Almon Wheeler (June 30, 1819 – June 4, 1887) was a U.S. representative from New York and the nineteenth vice president of the United States.
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Jun 5, 2024 · William Almon Wheeler was an American politician and attorney. He served as a United States representative from New York from 1861 to 1863 and 1869 to 1877, and the 19th vice president of the United States from 1877 to 1881.
