Hamilton Fish II

Hamilton Fish II
Born	April 17, 1849 Albany, New York
Died	January 15, 1936 (aged 86) Aiken, South Carolina
Resting place	Saint Philip's Church Cemetery Garrison, New York
Education	Columbia College of Columbia University (1869) Columbia Law School (1873)
Parent(s)	Julia Ursin Niemcewicz Kean Hamilton Fish

Hamilton Fish II (April 17, 1849 – January 15, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Life

Born in Albany, New York on April 17, 1849, while his father was serving as Governor, Hamilton Fish II was the son of Julia Ursin Niemcewicz Kean and Hamilton Fish. He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1869 and was a member of St. Anthony Hall. He also received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia.^[1][2]

He served as private secretary to his father, and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1873.^[3] From 1873 to 1874 he was aide-de-camp to Governor John Adams Dix with the rank of Colonel.^[4]

He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Putnam Co.) in 1874, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896. He was the Republican leader in 1890 and Speaker in 1895 and 1896.

In 1903 he succeeded his brother Nicholas Fish II as a hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

He served as Assistant Treasurer of the United States for New York in the Administration of Theodore Roosevelt, and was elected to the United States House of Representatives for a single term, from 1909-1911. He was defeated for reelection.

For many years Fish was considered to be one of the top Republican bosses in the State of New York, controlling Putnam County. He was the father of long-time Republican congressional leader Hamilton Fish III.

In the late 19th century he purchased the Rock Lawn and Carriage House at Garrison, New York.^[5]

He died in Aiken, South Carolina on January 15, 1936.^[6][7][8][9] He was buried at Saint Philip's Church Cemetery in Garrison.^[10]

References

1. Robert A. McCaughey, Stand, Columbia: a History of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2003, page 260
2. Delta Psi fraternity, Catalog of the Members of the Fraternity of Delta Psi, 1906, page 17
3. Charles G Shanks, The State Government for 1879, 1879, page 101
4. New York Secretary of State, Legislative Manual, 1873, page 258
5. Elise M. Barry (April 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rock Lawn and Carriage House". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
6. Society of the Cincinnati, Roster of the Society of the Cincinnati, 1938, page 69
7. Dodd, Mead and Company, The New International Year Book, 1937, page 512
8. Time, Inc., Time magazine, Volume 27, 1936, page 2
9. Newport (R.I.) Mercury, Hamilton Fish Dies in Aiken, S.C., January 17, 1936
10. Thomas E. Spencer, Where They're Buried, 1998, page 238

External links

• Bartleby
• The Political Graveyard
• Desmond-Fish Library Public Library co-founded by Hamilton Fish IV. Library has many Fish family artifacts, papers and portraits on display.
• LiSA (Livingston-Svirsky Archive) Contains many online documents on the Fish Family.

• United States Congress. "Hamilton Fish II (id: F000139)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Hamilton Fish II at Find a Grave