William Boyd Allison
| William B. Allison | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Iowa |
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In office March 4, 1873 – August 4, 1908 |
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| Preceded by | James Harlan |
| Succeeded by | Albert B. Cummins |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district |
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In office March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1871 |
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| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | William G. Donnan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Boyd Allison March 2, 1829 Perry, Ohio, USA |
| Died | August 4, 1908 (aged 79) Dubuque, Iowa, USA |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Carter Allison Mary Neally Allison |
| Alma mater |
Allegheny College Western Reserve College |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army
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| Rank |
 Lieutenant Colonel
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| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
William Boyd Allison (March 2, 1829 – August 4, 1908) was an early leader of the Iowa Republican Party, who represented northeastern Iowa for four consecutive terms in the U.S. House before representing his state for six consecutive terms in the U.S. Senate. He died soon after overcoming his principal hurdle to election for a record seventh term in the Senate. By the 1890s, Allison became one of the "big four" key Republicans who largely controlled the Senate, along with Orville H. Platt of Connecticut, John Coit Spooner of Wisconsin and Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island.
Born in Perry, Ohio, Allison was educated at Wooster Academy. Afterward, he spent a year at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, then graduated from Western Reserve College (then located in Hudson, Ohio) in 1849. He then studied law and began practicing in Ashland, Ohio. While practicing law there from 1852 until 1857, he was a delegate to the 1855 Ohio Republican Convention and an unsuccessful candidate for district attorney in 1856. In 1857, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa, which would serve as his hometown for the last fifty years of his life.
After his arrival in Dubuque, Allison took a prominent part in the politics of the nascent Republican Party. Allison was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States.
During the subsequent Civil War, he was on the staff of Iowa Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood, who ordered him to help the state raise regiments for the war. He personally helped raise four regiments. He was given the rank of lieutenant colonel during the war, although it was unlikely he actually served in uniform.
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