William J. Coombs
Encyclopedia
William Jerome Coombs was a Bourbon Democrat
member of the United States House of Representatives
from New York
.
Born in Jordan, New York
, Coombs attended the Jordan Academy there. He moved to New York City in 1850, and in 1855 to Brooklyn. In 1856, he started a business exporting American products, which he did for the next 37 years.
He ran for Congress in 1888, but lost. Coombs ran again in 1890 and was elected as a Democrat
to the Fifty-second Congress
. He ran for reelection in 1892 and won a seat in the Fifty-third Congress
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894.
President Grover Cleveland
appointed Coombs a director of the Union Pacific Railroad
in 1894, with special commission to collect the debts due the United States Government from the various Pacific railroads.
Coombs later served as president of the Manufacturers' Terminal Co., and after that headed the Title Guarantee & Trust Co. of Brooklyn.
In 1904, Coombs became president of the South Brooklyn Savings Bank, in which capacity he served until his death on January 12, 1922, age 88. He was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery
.
Bourbon Democrat
Bourbon Democrat was a term used in the United States from 1876 to 1904 to refer to a member of the Democratic Party, conservative or classical liberal, especially one who supported President Grover Cleveland in 1884–1888/1892–1896 and Alton B. Parker in 1904. After 1904, the Bourbons faded away...
member of the United States House of Representatives
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 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Born in Jordan, New York
Jordan, New York
Jordan is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,314 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Coombs attended the Jordan Academy there. He moved to New York City in 1850, and in 1855 to Brooklyn. In 1856, he started a business exporting American products, which he did for the next 37 years.
He ran for Congress in 1888, but lost. Coombs ran again in 1890 and was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Fifty-second Congress
52nd United States Congress
The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
. He ran for reelection in 1892 and won a seat in the Fifty-third Congress
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894.
President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
appointed Coombs a director of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
in 1894, with special commission to collect the debts due the United States Government from the various Pacific railroads.
Coombs later served as president of the Manufacturers' Terminal Co., and after that headed the Title Guarantee & Trust Co. of Brooklyn.
In 1904, Coombs became president of the South Brooklyn Savings Bank, in which capacity he served until his death on January 12, 1922, age 88. He was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
.