Thomas J. Oakley
Thomas Jackson Oakley (November 10, 1783 – May 11, 1857) was a New York attorney, politician, and judge. He served as a United States Representative and as New York State Attorney General.
Biography
Education
Oakley was born in Beekman, New York on November 10, 1783, the son of Jerusha (Petera) Oakley and Jesse Oakley, a farmer and veteran of the American Revolution.[1] He graduated from Yale College in 1801, studied law with attorney Philo Ruggles in Poughkeepsie, and was admitted to the bar in 1804.[1] Oakley practiced first in Poughkeepsie, and later in New York City.[1] Among his notable cases, Oakley and Thomas Addis Emmet represented Aaron Ogden in the landmark case Gibbons v. Ogden, which the United States Supreme Court ultimately resolved in favor of Gibbons, who was represented by Daniel Webster and William Wirt.[2]
Professional career
Oakley was Surrogate of Dutchess County from 1810 to 1811.[3] He was elected as a Federalist to the Thirteenth United States Congress (March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815).[4] During this term, Oakley was an anti-war Federalist and opposed U.S. participation in the War of 1812.
Oakley was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1816, and again from 1818 to 1820.[4] From 1819 to 1821, he was New York State Attorney General.[4]
In 1826, he was again elected to Congress, serving from March 4, 1827, until May 9, 1828, when he resigned to accept a judgeship.[4] He was a judge of the superior court of New York City from 1828 to 1847.[4] In 1847, he was appointed chief judge, and he served until his death in office.[4]
Honors
In 1853, Oakley received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Union College.[4]
Personal life
In 1808, Oakley married Lydia Williams, the daughter of Robert Williams, a prominent business and political figure in Poughkeepsie.[5] They were the parents of a son, Robert Williams Oakley, a Union College graduate, attorney, and militia officer who died unmarried in 1832.[5]
After the death of his first wife Oakley married Matilda Cruger (1809–1891); they were the parents of three daughters and two sons.[4] His father-in-law was Henry Cruger, who had the unique distinction of serving as both a member of Parliament (1774–1780; 1784–1790) and as a New York State Senator (1792–1796).[4]
Death
Oakley died May 11, 1857,[4] and was buried at Trinity Churchyard in New York City.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College, p. 450.
- ^ The Supreme Court in United States History, p. 59.
- ^ Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College, pp. 450–451.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College, p. 451.
- ^ a b Sayre Family, p. 103.
- ^ Where They're Buried, p. 247.
Sources
Books
- Banta, Theodore Melvin. Sayre Family: Lineage of Thomas Sayre, a Founder of Southampton.
- Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (1911). Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College. Vol. V. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.
- Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company. ISBN 978-0-8063-4823-0.
- Warren, Charles (1922). The Supreme Court in United States History. Vol. 2, 1821–1855. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1783 births
- 1857 deaths
- Yale University alumni
- People from Dutchess County, New York
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
- Members of the New York State Assembly
- New York State Attorneys General
- New York (state) state court judges
- New York (state) Jacksonians
- New York (state) Federalists
- Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives
- Politicians from Poughkeepsie, New York
- 19th-century American politicians