Representative George Washington Williams portrait   Save
Ohio History Connection
Description: Portrait of George Washington Williams (1849-1891), a Republican representative from Hamilton County who served in the Ohio House of Representatives during the 64th session (1880-1881) of the General Assembly. Williams was born in Bedford Springs, Pennsylania, on October 16, 1849. During his lifetime, he was an American Civil War veteran, journalist, politician and historian. Upon leaving the military, Williams enrolled at Howard University and eventually in Newton Theological Institution, where he was ordained as a Baptist minister. He found employment in numerous churches, but he eventually moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he studied law. He served in the Ohio General Assembly from 1880 to 1881, becoming the first African American to be elected to the Ohio State Legislature. He died on August 2, 1891, in Blackpool, England, and is buried in Layton Cemetery in Blackpool. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC4178_01
Subjects: African American Ohioans; Ohio House of Representatives; Ohio--Politics and government; Lawyers; Elected officials;
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)