Omar D. Conger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromMichigan | |
| In office March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Henry P. Baldwin |
| Succeeded by | Francis B. Stockbridge |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's7th district | |
| In office March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | John T. Rich |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's5th district | |
| In office March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 | |
| Preceded by | Rowland E. Trowbridge |
| Succeeded by | Wilder D. Foster |
| Member of theMichigan Senate | |
| In office 1855–1859 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1818-04-01)April 1, 1818 Cooperstown, New York |
| Died | July 11, 1898(1898-07-11) (aged 80) Ocean City, Maryland |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Omar Dwight Conger (April 1, 1818 – July 11, 1898) was aU.S. Representative andU.S. Senator from thestate ofMichigan.
Conger was born inCooperstown, New York, son of the Rev. Enoch Conger and Esther (West) Conger. The Conger family moved toHuron County, Ohio, in 1824. He pursued academic studies at theHuron Institute inMilan, Ohio, and graduated from Western Reserve College (nowCase Western Reserve University) inHudson, Ohio, in 1841. He engaged in mineral explorations of theLake Superior copper and iron regions in connection with the Michigan State Geological Survey 1845–1847. He engaged in the practice of law inPort Huron, Michigan, in 1848 and was elected judge of theSt. Clair County Court in 1850. He was a member of theMichigan State Senate 1855–1859, and served as President pro tempore in 1859. He was a member of the State military board during theCivil War, holding the rank of colonel. He was aPresidential Elector for Michigan in 1864 and a member of the State constitutional convention in 1866.
He was elected as aRepublican to theUnited States House of Representatives for the41st United States Congress and to the five succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1869 until March 3, 1881. He representedMichigan's 5th congressional district from 1869 to 1873 and became the first person to represent the7th district from 1873 to 1881.
Conger was re-elected to the House for the47th Congress in the general election on November 2, 1880. He was subsequently elected by theMichigan Legislature to theUnited States Senate on January 18, 1881. Conger served the remainder of his term in the House for 46th Congress and resigned from the House for the next term to serve in the Senate.John T. Rich was elected in a special election April 4, 1881, to fill the vacancy in the House.
While in the House, Conger served as chairman,Committee on Expenditures in the State Department in the42nd Congress, and theCommittee on Patents in the43rd Congress.
Conger was elected in 1880 as a Republican to theUnited States Senate and served from March 4, 1881, to March 4, 1887. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886. He served as chairman,Committee on Manufactures in the47th Congress, theCommittee on the Revision of the Laws in the48th Congress, and theCommittee on Post Office and Post Roads in the49th Congress.
After leaving Congress, he engaged in the practice of law inWashington, D.C., and died inOcean City, Maryland. He is interred inLakeside Cemetery,Port Huron, Michigan.
Conger also played an important role in the establishment of the American Red Cross. On May 12, 1881, Clara Barton, who became the first president of the organization, organized a meeting at Sen. Conger's home. The 15 people present at this meeting include Barton, Conger, and Rep. William Lawrence (R, OH).
Senator Conger is the namesake forFort Conger, the pioneering Arctic outpost established by Augustus Greeley's 1881 expedition and named by the explorer, along withConger Sound, in gratitude for the senator's support.
Conger's legacy can also be seen in the street names inPort Huron, Michigan. The two streets closest to the lake are named Omar Street and Conger Avenue, and are just a few blocks away from Lakeside Cemetery where he is interred. Additionally, there was a short-lived settlement established inthe Thumb called "Omard", which was named in honor of the senator using his first name "Omar" and his middle initial "D".[1]
The Library of Congress lists a single published work by Conger in its catalog. This is the 15 page pamphlet titledA Plain Review, published in Washington, D.C., in 1892. Its subject isFrench spoliation claims. The call number there is E321 .C74.
His grandson was also named Omar Dwight Conger and graduated from Harvard University before being killed in San Diego during World War II.[2]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Representative for the 5th Congressional District of Michigan 1869–1873 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by None | United States Representative for the 7th Congressional District of Michigan 1873–1881 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Michigan 1881–1887 Served alongside:Thomas W. Ferry,Thomas W. Palmer | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| Post Office and Post Roads (1816–1947) | | |
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| Civil Service and Retrenchment (1873–1921) | ||
| Civil Service (1921–1947) | ||
| Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1977) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
