Henry Roberts Pease (February 19, 1835 – January 2, 1907) was an American lawyer, educator, and politician who served as a United States senator for Mississippi from 1874 to 1875. He also served as the state's first superintendent of education and was a member of the South Dakota Senate for one term.

Henry Roberts Pease
United States Senator
from Mississippi
In office
February 3, 1874 – March 4, 1875
Preceded byAdelbert Ames
Succeeded byBlanche K. Bruce
Personal details
Born(1835-02-19)February 19, 1835
Winsted, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedJanuary 2, 1907(1907-01-02) (aged 71)
Watertown, South Dakota, U.S.
Resting placeMount Hope Cemetery, Watertown, South Dakota
Political partyRepublican
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service Union Army
Rank Captain
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Early life and education

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Born in Winsted, Connecticut, Pease received a normal school training.

Career

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Pease engaged in teaching from 1848 to 1859, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1859 and commenced practice in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, he entered the Union Army as a private in 1862 and attained the rank of captain; he was superintendent of education of Louisiana while that state was under military rule and was appointed superintendent of education of freedmen in Mississippi in 1867. In 1869, he was elected state superintendent of education of Mississippi.[1]

Pease was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Adelbert Ames and served from February 3, 1874, to March 4, 1875. He chose not to run for reelection. In 1875, he was appointed postmaster of Vicksburg, Mississippi by President Ulysses S. Grant, and he established and edited the Mississippi Educational Journal.

Pease moved to Dakota in 1881 and settled in Watertown (now South Dakota) where he was receiver of the United States General Land Office from 1881 to 1885. From 1895 to 1896 he served one term as a member of the South Dakota Senate, representing Marshall and Roberts Counties.[2]

Personal life

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Pease died in Watertown in 1907; interment was in Mount Hope Cemetery.

References

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  1. ^ Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Southern Historical Publishing Association.
  2. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Pearsons to Pease". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
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U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 1) from Mississippi
February 3, 1874 – March 4, 1875
Served alongside: James L. Alcorn
Succeeded by