George P. Sanger
Encyclopedia
George Partridge Sanger (November 27, 1819 – July 3, 1890) was an American lawyer, editor, judge, and businessman who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1873 to 1886 and was the first president of the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company
.
. He graduated from Harvard University
in 1840 and after spending two years as a teacher in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, returned to Harvard as a Latin tutor and a law student.
in 1844 and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He spent the next three years practicing law in Boston, first with Stephen Henry Phillips
, and later with Charles G. Davis. In 1849 Sanger was named Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
Sanger was a member of the Charlestown, Massachusetts Common Council from 1849 to 1850 and the Board of Aldermen from 1851 to 1853.
In January 1853, he was appointed to the staff of Governor John H. Clifford
. In September of that year he was appointed District Attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts
. The following year he was appointed Judge of the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas. He remained on the bench until the Court was abolished in 1859.
In 1860 he was a member of the Boston Common Council
.
From 1861 to 1869 Sanger again served as District Attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts
.
In 1873 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
. Following the death of David H. Mason
, Sanger was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant
to succeed him as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He remained in this role until 1882.
, where he was responsible for editing the Law Reporter and The United States Statutes at Large
.
From 1842 to 1860 he was the editor of the American Almanac.
John Hancock Insurance
John Hancock Financial is a loose term for a United States insurance company which existed, in various forms, from its founding on April 21, 1862, until its acquisition in 2004 by the Canadian insurance company Manulife Financial. It was named in honor of John Hancock, a prominent patriot...
.
Early life
Sanger was born on November 27, 1819 in Dover, MassachusettsDover, Massachusetts
Dover is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2010 census.Located about southwest of downtown Boston, Dover is a residential town nestled on the south banks of the Charles River. Almost all of the residential zoning requires or larger...
. He graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard 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...
in 1840 and after spending two years as a teacher in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, returned to Harvard as a Latin tutor and a law student.
Legal career
Sanger graduated from Harvard Law SchoolHarvard 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...
in 1844 and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He spent the next three years practicing law in Boston, first with Stephen Henry Phillips
Stephen Henry Phillips
Stephen Henry Phillips was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts and the Kingdom of Hawaii and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and on King Kamehameha V's Privy Council.-Early life:...
, and later with Charles G. Davis. In 1849 Sanger was named Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
Sanger was a member of the Charlestown, Massachusetts Common Council from 1849 to 1850 and the Board of Aldermen from 1851 to 1853.
In January 1853, he was appointed to the staff of Governor John H. Clifford
John H. Clifford
John Henry Clifford , U.S. political figure, was the 21st Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a single term, from 1853 to 1854....
. In September of that year he was appointed District Attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
. The following year he was appointed Judge of the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas. He remained on the bench until the Court was abolished in 1859.
In 1860 he was a member of the Boston Common Council
Boston City Council
The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councilors are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve...
.
From 1861 to 1869 Sanger again served as District Attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
.
In 1873 he was a member of 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...
. Following the death of David H. Mason
David H. Mason
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...
, Sanger was appointed 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...
to succeed him as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He remained in this role until 1882.
Editor
Sanger worked for Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
, where he was responsible for editing the Law Reporter and The United States Statutes at Large
United States Statutes at Large
The United States Statutes at Large, commonly referred to as the Statutes at Large and abbreviated Stat., are the official source for the laws and concurrent resolutions passed by the United States Congress...
.
From 1842 to 1860 he was the editor of the American Almanac.
John Hancock Insurance
On October 14, 1862, the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company's Board of Directors elected Sanger the first president of the company. He held this position until August 1863.Personal life
Sanger married Elizabeth Sherburne Thompson of Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1846. The couple had four sons:- John White Sanger
- William Thompson Sanger
- George Partridge Sanger, Jr.
- Charles Robert SangerCharles Robert SangerCharles Robert Sanger was a chemist and professor at Harvard University whose research centered on detecting and curing the causes of illness caused by chemicals in the home.-Early life :...
.