Thomas J. Geary

Thomas J. Geary
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 1st district
In office
December 9, 1890  March 3, 1895
Preceded by John J. De Haven
Succeeded by John All Barham
Personal details
Born (1854-01-18)January 18, 1854
Boston, Massachusetts
Died July 6, 1929(1929-07-06) (aged 75)
Santa Rosa, California
Political party Democratic Party
Occupation Attorney

Thomas J. Geary (January 18, 1854 July 6, 1929) was a U.S. Representative from California.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Geary moved with his parents to San Francisco, California, in April 1863. He attended the public schools. He studied law at St. Ignatius College. He was admitted to the bar in 1877 and commenced practice in Petaluma, California, moving to Santa Rosa, California, in 1882. He served as district attorney of Sonoma County, California, in 1883 and 1884. He resumed the practice of law.

Geary was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John J. De Haven. He was reelected to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses and served from December 9, 1890, to March 3, 1895. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894 to the Fifty-fourth Congress.

Geary wrote the Geary Act, a law passed in 1892, which extended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and added new requirements for Chinese residents in the United States.

After losing his bid for reelection, Geary resumed his practice of law. He moved to Nome, Alaska, in 1900 in junction with the Gold Rush going on there at the time, to San Francisco, California, in 1902, and returned to Santa Rosa, California, in 1903, continuing the practice of law. He retired from active pursuits in 1923. He died in Santa Rosa, California, July 6, 1929. He was interred in Rural Cemetery.

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References

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
John J. De Haven
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 1st congressional district

1890–1895
Succeeded by
John All Barham

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

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