John A. McMahon
Encyclopedia
John A. McMahon was a United States Representative
from Ohio
. He was the nephew of Clement Vallandigham
, another Representative from Ohio.
McMahon was born in Frederick County, Maryland
, and graduated from St. Xavier College
in 1849. He taught at Xavier for a year, and settled in Dayton, Ohio
in 1852. He studied law with his uncle, Vallandigham, and was admitted to the bar
in 1854, forming a partnership with his uncle. In 1861 he formed a partnership with George W. Houk
, which lasted 19 years. He was elected to the Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, and Forty-sixth United States Congresses, from 1875 until 1881.
He was appointed by the House of Representatives as a manager to conduct impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War
William W. Belknap
. He was unsuccessful for re-election in 1880 and returned to private law practice in Dayton. He served as the president of the Ohio State Bar Association
in 1886, and was a losing candidate for the Senate in 1889. He died in Dayton and was buried in Woodland Cemetery
.
McMahon was married January 23, 1861 to Mollie R. Sprigg, of Cumberland, Maryland
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He was the nephew of Clement Vallandigham
Clement Vallandigham
Clement Laird Vallandigham was an Ohio resident of the Copperhead faction of anti-war Democrats during the American Civil War. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:...
, another Representative from Ohio.
McMahon was born in Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, and graduated from St. Xavier College
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in 1849. He taught at Xavier for a year, and settled in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
in 1852. He studied law with his uncle, Vallandigham, and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1854, forming a partnership with his uncle. In 1861 he formed a partnership with George W. Houk
George W. Houk
George Washington Houk was a lawyer and politician representing Ohio.George W. Houk was born near Mount Holly Springs in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, the son of Adam and Catherine Houk. The family moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1827 where George Houk attended the public schools and the E. E....
, which lasted 19 years. He was elected to the Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, and Forty-sixth United States Congresses, from 1875 until 1881.
He was appointed by the House of Representatives as a manager to conduct impeachment proceedings against Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
William W. Belknap
William W. Belknap
William Worth Belknap was a United States Army general, government administrator, and United States Secretary of War. He was the only Cabinet secretary ever to have been impeached by the United States House of Representatives.-Birth and early years:Born in Newburgh, New York to career soldier...
. He was unsuccessful for re-election in 1880 and returned to private law practice in Dayton. He served as the president of the Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
The Ohio State Bar Association is a voluntary professional association for anyone who has been admitted to the practice of law in the U.S. state of Ohio. Membership includes more than 26,000 Ohio lawyers and judges, almost 70 percent of all Ohio law practitioners. With the addition of paralegals,...
in 1886, and was a losing candidate for the Senate in 1889. He died in Dayton and was buried in Woodland Cemetery
Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum , located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest "garden" cemeteries in the United States....
.
McMahon was married January 23, 1861 to Mollie R. Sprigg, of Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
.