George Walker (attorney)
George Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 1888 (aged 63) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, legislator, banker, corporate leader, political consultant, diplomat |
| Years active | 1847–1887 |
| Known for | Massachusetts state senator and representative; Massachusetts Banking Commissioner; vice president of Western Union Telegraph Company; U.S. Consul-General in Paris; supporter of bimetallism |
George Walker (April 1, 1824 – January 15, 1888) was a lawyer, legislator in Massachusetts, banking professional, corporate leader, political consultant, supporter of bimetallism, and served as U.S. Consul-General in Paris.
Life and career
Originating from Peterborough, New Hampshire, Walker completed his education at Dartmouth College in 1842. He practiced law in Springfield, Massachusetts between 1847 and 1875. Beginning in 1857, he held office as a Massachusetts state senator for two consecutive terms and later represented his district as a state representative in 1868.
Walker was instrumental in the establishment of the National Banking System within Massachusetts. He was named Massachusetts Banking Commissioner in 1860 and maintained this role until early 1864. That same year, alongside Frederic H. Harris, he established the Third National Bank of Springfield under a federal charter with an initial capital of $500,000.
Shifting focus to banking activities in New York, Walker assumed the position of vice president at the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1871 and subsequently held a similar executive role at the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company.
As a leading proponent of bimetallism, Walker engaged in correspondence with U.S. Senator William B. Allison, potentially impacting revisions to the Bland–Allison Bill. On two occasions—first in 1865 by Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch and again in 1879 by Secretary of State William M. Evarts—he was sent to Europe to investigate international agreements concerning bimetallic standards.
In 1880, President Hayes appointed him as Consul-General in Paris, a post he occupied until his resignation in June 1887. Afterwards, Walker moved to Washington, D.C., planning a short stay before relocating to a farm in Exeter, New Hampshire. He passed away from pneumonia on January 15, 1888, and was interred in Springfield.