David H. Mason
Encyclopedia
David Haven Mason was an American
attorney
and Republican
politician from Newton
, Massachusetts
, who served on the Massachusetts Board of Education, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, and later as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1870 until his death in 1873.
, to John and Mary (Haven) Mason. He graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1841 and studied at law in Lancaster, New Hampshire
, Boston, Massachusetts
, and Harvard Law School
.
In 1848 he moved from Boston to Newton, Massachusetts, where he lived for the rest of his life.
In 1860 Mason was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Education. As a member of the board, Mason was influential in the establishment of the State Normal School at Framingham.
Mason represented Newton in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1863, 1866 and 1867. In the House he was a leading proponent of the leveling of Boston's Fort Hill
, the merger of the Western Railroad
and the Boston and Worcester Railroad
, and the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
.
From 1864 to 1870 Mason was a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers
. On December 22, 1870, he was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts by President Ulysses S. Grant
.
Mason died on May 20, 1873 at his home in Newton. The town of Newton named one of its grammar schools in his honor (now known as Mason-Rice Elementary School).
He was a distant relative of Rufus Osgood Mason
, who also grew up in Sullivan, New Hampshire.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Attorney
Attorney may refer to:*Attorney at law, a lawyer in some countries*Attorney general, the principal legal adviser to a government*Attorney-in-fact, a person authorised to act on someone else's behalf in a legal or business matter by a power of attorney...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, who served on the Massachusetts Board of Education, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, and later as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1870 until his death in 1873.
Early life
Mason was born on March 17, 1818 in Sullivan, New HampshireSullivan, New Hampshire
Sullivan is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 677 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of East Sullivan and Ellisville.-History:...
, to John and Mary (Haven) Mason. He graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1841 and studied at law in Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster, New Hampshire
Lancaster is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, on the Connecticut River named after Lancaster, England. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,507, the second largest in the county after Berlin. It is the county seat of Coos County and gateway to the Great North Woods Region...
, Boston, Massachusetts
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Legal career
Mason was admitted to the Suffolk County bar in 1843 and began practicing in Boston. Lacking family or personal wealth, Mason was left with only twenty-five cents after securing his office and purchasing office furniture and law books. He was eventually able to establish a successful practice.In 1848 he moved from Boston to Newton, Massachusetts, where he lived for the rest of his life.
In 1860 Mason was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Education. As a member of the board, Mason was influential in the establishment of the State Normal School at Framingham.
Mason represented Newton in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1863, 1866 and 1867. In the House he was a leading proponent of the leveling of Boston's Fort Hill
Fort Point, Boston
Fort Point is a neighborhood or district of Boston, Massachusetts, which is named after the location of a fort which guarded the city in colonial times....
, the merger of the Western Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
and the Boston and Worcester Railroad
Boston and Albany Railroad
The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
, and the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
.
From 1864 to 1870 Mason was a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers
Harvard Board of Overseers
The Harvard Board of Overseers is one of Harvard University's two governing boards...
. On December 22, 1870, he was appointed United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts by President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
.
Mason died on May 20, 1873 at his home in Newton. The town of Newton named one of its grammar schools in his honor (now known as Mason-Rice Elementary School).
Personal life
Mason married Sarah Wilson White on June 16, 1845. They had five children:- Edward Haven MasonEdward Haven MasonEdward Haven Mason , of Boston, Massachusetts, was the first philatelist to study, and to write on, proofs and essays of United States postage stamps and postal stationery.-Collecting interests:...
(1849–1917), an attorney and philatelist - Elizabeth Amelia White Mason (1853–1864)
- Harry White Mason (1857–1929), an attorney
- Frank A. MasonFrank A. MasonFrank Atlee Mason was an American attorney who also served as the first full-time football coach at Harvard University.-Early life:...
(1862–1940), an attorney and the first full-time football coach at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. - Mabel White (Mason) Mowton (1867–1931)
He was a distant relative of Rufus Osgood Mason
Rufus Osgood Mason
Rufus Osgood Mason was a physician, surgeon, teacher, and an early researcher in parapsychology and hypnotherapy...
, who also grew up in Sullivan, New Hampshire.