Albion Parris

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Albion Keith Parris (January 19, 1788 – February 11, 1857) was the fifth governor of Maine, a United States representative from the District of Maine, Massachusetts, a United States senator from Maine, a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maine, an associate justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and the 2nd Comptroller of the Currency for the United States Department of the Treasury.

Education and career

Born on January 19, 1788, in Hebron, District of Maine (then part of Massachusetts),<ref name="auto">Template:FJC Bio</ref> Parris graduated from Dartmouth College in 1806 and read law in 1809.<ref name="auto"/> He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Paris, District of Maine from 1810 to 1811.<ref name="auto"/> He was prosecutor for Oxford County, District of Maine from 1811 to 1813.<ref name="auto"/> He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Paris, District of Maine from 1813 to 1814.<ref name="auto"/> He was a member of the Massachusetts Senate from Oxford and Somerset Counties, District of Maine from 1814 to 1815.<ref name="auto"/>

United States representative

Parris was elected as a Democratic-Republican from Massachusetts's 20th congressional district (representing the District of Maine) to the United States House of Representatives of the 14th and 15th United States Congresses and served from March 4, 1815, to February 3, 1818, when he resigned to accept a federal judicial position.<ref name="auto1">Template:CongBio</ref> He was a delegate to the Maine constitutional convention in 1819.<ref name="auto1"/>

Federal judicial service and gubernatorial service

Parris was nominated by President James Monroe on January 27, 1818, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maine vacated by Judge David Sewall.<ref name="auto"/> He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 28, 1818, and received his commission the same day.<ref name="auto"/> His service terminated on January 1, 1822, due to his resignation.<ref name="auto"/> Concurrently with his federal judicial service, he was a Judge of the Cumberland County Probate Court from 1820 to 1821.<ref name="auto"/> During his judicial service, the District of Maine was admitted to the Union as the State of Maine on March 15, 1820.<ref name="auto"/> He was the 5th Governor of Maine from 1822 to 1827.<ref name="auto"/>

United States senator

Parris was elected to the United States Senate from Maine and served from March 4, 1827, to August 26, 1828, when he resigned.<ref name="auto1"/>

Later career

Parris was an associate justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1828 to 1836.<ref name="auto"/> He was the 2nd Comptroller of the Currency for the United States Department of the Treasury from 1836 to 1850.<ref name="auto"/> He resumed private practice in Portland, Maine from 1849 to 1852.<ref name="auto"/> He was the Mayor of Portland in 1852.<ref name="auto"/> He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Governor of Maine in 1854,<ref name="auto1"/> losing to Know Nothing candidate Anson Morrill.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He died on February 11, 1857, in Portland.<ref name="auto"/> He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.<ref name="auto1"/>

Parris Street in Portland is now named for him.<ref name=":0">The Origins of the Street Names of the City of Portland, Maine as of 1995 – Norm and Althea Green, Portland Public Library (1995)</ref>

Special service

In the fall of 1846, Parris served as one of the three commissioners negotiating a treaty at Washington, D.C., with the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Indians.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Family

Parris was the cousin of Virgil D. Parris, a United States representative from Maine.<ref name="auto1"/>

Sources

• Template:FJC Bio