Richard Ross Crawford (c. 1810 – July 29, 1888) was an American lawyer[1] and politician who served as Mayor of Georgetown from 1857 to 1861 and plaintiff of the U.S. Supreme Court case Crawford v. Addison.[2][3]

Richard R. Crawford
Mayor of Georgetown
In office
March 2, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded byHenry Addison
Succeeded byHenry Addison
Personal details
Bornc. 1810
Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJuly 29, 1888 (aged 78)
Georgetown, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeOak Hill Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma mater

Early life and education

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Richard Ross Crawford was born around 1810 in Pennsylvania.[4] He received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1829,[5] and later received his law degree from Yale Law School in 1834.[6]

He was married to Elizabeth Davidson and they had one daughter, Laura.[7][8]

Career

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Crawford practiced law in Georgetown and also became involved in local community affairs, including serving as an appointed member of the local board of health.[6][9]

Crawford served two terms as Mayor of Georgetown from 1857 to 1861, unseating incumbent mayor Henry Addison. He again faced Addison as his opponent during his re-election campaign.[10] The 1859 election between Crawford and Addison and the close vote count was a subject of controversy and led to a U.S. Supreme Court case, Crawford v. Addison.[11][3] Ultimately, Crawford won the case and was permitted to serve out the remainder of the two-year term and recovered two years' salary.[10][12] Crawford was defeated by Addison in his 1861 campaign re-election.[13]

Death

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Crawford died on July 29, 1888, at the age of 78.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Hughes, Stephanie (2002). "The Mayor of Georgetown". Library Associates. p. 3. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. The Washington DC Historical Society. 1922. pp. 101–102.
  3. ^ a b Miller, Samuel Freeman (1875). Reports of Decisions in the Supreme Court of the United States. W.H. & O.H. Morrison. pp. 281–285.
  4. ^ United States Census 1850. United States Census Bureau. OCLC 31071884.
  5. ^ "Crawford, Richard Ross, 1829". findingaids.princeton.edu. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Tuttle, Roger Walker (1911). Biographies of Graduates of the Yale Law School, 1824-1899. Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company. p. 70.
  7. ^ "Crawford, Richard R. - Correspondence to Crawford, Harriet A." findingaids.library.georgetown.edu. 1840. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  8. ^ "Miss Crawford's Funeral: Deceased Was Daughter of Former Mayor of Georgetown". The Washington Post. October 26, 1932.
  9. ^ Minutes of the Proceedings of the Quarantine Convention: Held at Philadelphia by Invitation of the Philadelphia Board of Health, May 13-15, 1857. Crissy & Markley, Printers. 1857. p. 6.
  10. ^ a b Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. Vol. 24. Columbia Historical Society. 1922. pp. 101–102. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "U.S. Reports: United States ex relatione Crawford v. Addison, 63 U.S. (22 How.) 174 (1860)". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  12. ^ Miller, Samuel Freeman (1875). Reports of Decisions in the Supreme Court of the United States. Vol. 3. pp. 281–284. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  13. ^ "Richard R. Crawford - Georgetown University Archival Resources". findingaids.library.georgetown.edu. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  14. ^ "Mayor Crawford Dead: Georgetown Loses One of Its Most Honored Residents". The Critic-Record. July 30, 1888.