Edwin Atkins Merritt was an American politician, civil service reformer and diplomat.

Life

He was the son of Nodiah Merritt and Relief (Parker) Merritt. He was a member from St. Lawrence County of the New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

 in 1860 and 1861. He served in the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

.

Merritt was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1867-68. in 1875

New York state election, 1875

The 1875 New York state election was held on November 2, 1875, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the...

, he ran on the 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...

 ticket for New York State Treasurer

New York State Treasurer

The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the new Department of Audit and Control headed by the...

, but was defeated by Democrat Charles N. Ross

Charles N. Ross

For other people with a similar name, see Charles RossCharles N. Ross was an American banker and politician.-Life:He was the son of Elmore P. Ross For other people with a similar name, see Charles RossCharles N. Ross (b. ca. 1842) was an American banker and politician.-Life:He was the son of...

.

Merritt was Collector of the Port of New York

Collector of the Port of New York

The Collector of Customs at the Port of New York, most often referred to as Collector of the Port of New York, sometimes also as Collector of Customs for the Port of New York or Collector of Customs for the District of New York, was a federal officer who was in charge of the collection of import...

 from 1878 to 1881, appointed as a part of President Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...

's attempt to reform the civil service there. Merritt served as U.S. Consul General in London from 1882 to 1885. Returning to New York, he served as President of the Board of trustees of St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....

 for several years.

His son Edwin Albert Merritt was a Congressman from New York.