David S. Kaufman
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David Spangler Kaufman (December 18, 1813 – January 31, 1851) was a U.S. Representative from Texas. He was the first Jewish person elected to Congress from Texas.
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[edit] Early life and education
Born in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania to German Jewish parents, Kaufman pursued classical studies and was graduated from Princeton College in 1833.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Natchez, Mississippi. He commenced practice in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
[edit] Career
Attracted by the developing country in the Southwest, Kaufman moved to Nacogdoches, Republic of Texas, in 1837. He served in the military against the Native Americans.
He served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives 1839-1843. He served in the Texas Senate 1843-1845. He was appointed Chargé d'Affaires of Texas to the United States in 1845.
Kaufman moved to Lowes Ferry, Texas. Upon the admission of Texas as a State into the Union, Kaufman was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress. He was reelected to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses and served from March 30, 1846, until his death in Washington, D.C., on January 31, 1851. He served as chairman of the Committee on Rules (Thirty-first Congress).
Kaufman was interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. In 1932 he was reinterred in the State Cemetery at Austin, Texas, in 1932.
[edit] Legacy and honors
- Kaufman County, Texas was named after him.
