Biographical Details
Date of Birth: December 10, 1817
Birth Location: Xenia, OH, USA
Major Study: Law
Graduation Year(s): 1844
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Laws
Date of Death: September 10, 1878
Death Location: Brighton Island, GA, USA
Clarendon Davisson
Life Experience
Clarendon Davisson was educated in Xenia, Ohio, before moving to Chicago, Illinois. After receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree from IU, he practiced law for two years in Petersburg. He returned to Bloomington, Indiana, as editor of the city’s newspaper,The Herald. He subsequently worked on the editorial staff of the Indianapolis Journal, the Saint Louis Democrat, and the Chicago Tribune. He was a member of the Historical and Geological Society of France and the Geological and Statistical Society of New York. At the start of the Civil War, he was appointed the U.S. Consul in Bourdeaux, France by President Lincoln. After his consulship ended, he moved to New Orleans, where he was affiliated with the Board of Education for two or three years. He also worked on the editorial staff of the New Orleans Republican.
Interesting Anecdote
As a journalist covering the 1858 Lincoln-Douglass debates, Davisson developed a friendship with Abraham Lincoln. It was largely through Davisson’s government influence in France that the Confederate-built war steamers, “Yeddo” and “Osacca” were prevented from sailing to help the Confederacy.
References
- Wylie
- repository.law.indiana.edu/notablealumni/182/
- Indiana University (1875)