Nehemiah D. Sperry
Encyclopedia
Nehemiah Day Sperry was a U.S. Representative
from Connecticut
.
Born in Woodbridge, Connecticut
, Sperry attended the common schools and a private school in New Haven.
He engaged in agricultural pursuits and worked in a mill. He taught school for several years. He became a member of a building and contracting firm. He served as member of the common council in 1853, and Alderman
of the city in 1854. He served as Secretary of the State of Connecticut
in 1855 and 1856. He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1856, 1864, and 1888. He served as member and secretary of the national and executive committees. He served as chairman of the Republican State committee for a number of years. He served as chairman of the recruiting committee of New Haven during the Civil War
. He was appointed July 16, 1861, by President Lincoln as postmaster of New Haven, and then reappointed and served until removed by President Cleveland January 20, 1886. He was again made postmaster at New Haven and served from January 9, 1890, until March 15, 1894.
Sperry was elected as a Republican
to the Fifty-fourth
and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1911). He served as chairman of the Committee on Alcohol Liquor Traffic (Fifty-sixth
through Sixty-first
Congresses). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1910. He died in New Haven, Connecticut
, on November 13, 1911. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery.
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 Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Born in Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...
, Sperry attended the common schools and a private school in New Haven.
He engaged in agricultural pursuits and worked in a mill. He taught school for several years. He became a member of a building and contracting firm. He served as member of the common council in 1853, and Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the city in 1854. He served as Secretary of the State of Connecticut
Secretary of the State of Connecticut
The Secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years....
in 1855 and 1856. He served as delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1856, 1864, and 1888. He served as member and secretary of the national and executive committees. He served as chairman of the Republican State committee for a number of years. He served as chairman of the recruiting committee of New Haven during the 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...
. He was appointed July 16, 1861, by President Lincoln as postmaster of New Haven, and then reappointed and served until removed by President Cleveland January 20, 1886. He was again made postmaster at New Haven and served from January 9, 1890, until March 15, 1894.
Sperry was elected as a 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...
to the Fifty-fourth
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1911). He served as chairman of the Committee on Alcohol Liquor Traffic (Fifty-sixth
56th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...
through Sixty-first
61st United States Congress
The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of...
Congresses). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1910. He died in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, on November 13, 1911. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery.