Nathan K. Hall

Nathan Kelsey Hall
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
In office 1852–1874
Appointed by	Millard Fillmore
Preceded by	Roger Skinner
Succeeded by	William James Wallace
14th United States Postmaster General
In office July 23, 1850 – August 31, 1852
Preceded by	Jacob Collamer
Succeeded by	Samuel Dickinson Hubbard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 32nd district
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	William A. Moseley
Succeeded by	Elbridge G. Spaulding
Personal details
Born	(1810-03-28)March 28, 1810 Marcellus, New York, US
Died	Buffalo, New York, US
Political party	Whig
Profession	Lawyer, politician, farmer, shoemaker

Nathan Kelsey Hall (March 28, 1810 – March 2, 1874) was an American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as U.S. Postmaster General.

Biography

He was born on March 28, 1810 in Marcellus, New York. He began his career as a shoemaker and farmer, but then studied law in Buffalo, New York, alongside future U.S. President Millard Fillmore, and later served him as a law clerk and still later as a law partner. After passing the bar examination in 1832, he practiced law and held various elected offices in Buffalo and Erie County, New York. He was elected a member of the New York Legislature in 1846. In 1846 he was elected as Whig to a seat in the 30th Congress, but was not renominated at the end of his term. He was also "particularly active in procuring the charter" of the University at Buffalo, which Fillmore founded.

In 1850, Fillmore appointed him Postmaster General of the United States. He served from 1850 through 1852, but for a brief stint as acting Secretary of the Interior. He left the office in 1852, when he became a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. He held that position 24 years until his death in 1874. He is buried close to his old friend Fillmore (who died six days after Hall's death) at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

External links

• Nathan K. Hall at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

• Nathan K. Hall at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• A biography on Nathan Hall
• Works by Nathan K. Hall at Project Gutenberg
• Nathan K. Hall at Find A Grave

Political offices
Preceded by Jacob Collamer	United States Postmaster General Served under: Millard Fillmore July 23, 1850 – August 31, 1852	Succeeded by Samuel Dickinson Hubbard
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by William A. Moseley	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 32nd congressional district March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1849	Succeeded by Elbridge G. Spaulding
Legal offices
Preceded by Alfred Conkling	Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York August 1852 – March 2, 1874	Succeeded by William James Wallace