Solomon W. Downs
| Solomon Weathersbee Downs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Louisiana | |
|
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | Pierre Soulé |
| Succeeded by | Judah P. Benjamin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1801 Montgomery County, Tennessee |
| Died |
August 14, 1854 (aged 52–53) Lincoln County, Kentucky |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Marie McCaleb |
| Alma mater | Transylvania University |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer, Farmer |
Solomon Weathersbee Downs (1801 – August 14, 1854) was a United States Senator from Louisiana. Born in Montgomery County, Tennessee, he pursued classical studies and graduated from the Transylvania University (in Lexington, Kentucky) in 1823. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1826 and commenced practice in Bayou Sara, Louisiana. He moved to Ouachita, Louisiana and then to New Orleans in 1845, where he engaged in the practice of law and was a successful planter.
Downs was United States Attorney for the district of Louisiana from 1845 to 1847 and a member of the State constitutional convention. He was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1853; while in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Engrossed Bills (Thirtieth Congress) and a member of the Committee on Private Land Claims (Thirtieth through Thirty-second Congresses). He was appointed by President Franklin Pierce as collector of the port of New Orleans in 1853. He died in Lincoln County, Kentucky and was buried on his family plantation (later reinterred in Riverview Cemetery, Monroe, Ouachita.)
Sources
- United States Congress. "Solomon W. Downs (id: D000476)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
External links
| United States Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pierre Soulé |
U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Louisiana March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853 Served alongside: Henry Johnson and Pierre Soulé |
Succeeded by Judah P. Benjamin |
| Class 2 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||