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Thomas W. Palmer | |
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| 27thUnited States Minister to Spain | |
| In office June 17, 1889 – April 19, 1890 | |
| President | Benjamin Harrison |
| Preceded by | Perry Belmont |
| Succeeded by | Edward Burd Grubb Jr. |
| United States Senator fromMichigan | |
| In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas W. Ferry |
| Succeeded by | James McMillan |
| Member of theMichigan Senate from the2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1879 – December 31, 1880 | |
| Member of theDetroit Board of Estimates | |
| In office 1873 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Witherell Palmer (1830-01-25)January 25, 1830 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 1, 1913(1913-06-01) (aged 83) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | James Witherell (maternal grandfather) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | businessman, lumberman |
| Profession | Politician |
| Signature |  |
Thomas Witherell Palmer (January 25, 1830 – June 1, 1913) was aU.S. Senator from thestate ofMichigan. He is considered to be one of the most significant figures in the history ofDetroit, Michigan.
Palmer was born in Detroit, where his mother was the daughter of the thirdMichigan Territorial JudgeJames Witherell, while his father was aNew England merchant who had settled in the city following theWar of 1812. Palmer attended the public schools, Thompson's Academy in Palmer (nowSt. Clair), and studied one year at theUniversity of Michigan inAnn Arbor. He traveled toSpain andSouth America and then entered the real estate business in Detroit in 1853 and then engaged in lumbering and agricultural pursuits with his future father-in-law,Charles Merrill, beginning in 1855. He served on the first board of directors and as the first president for theMichigan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now known as theMichigan Humane Society).
He served on the Board of Estimates of Detroit in 1873 and was a member of theMichigan State Senate 1879–1880. He was elected as aRepublican to theUnited States Senate in 1883 after decorated SenatorThomas W. Ferry handpicked Palmer as his successor.[1] He served from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1889. He was not a candidate for reelection. He was chairman of the Committee on Fisheries in the49th Congress, and the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in the50th Congress. While in the Senate, he became known as an advocate for thewomen's suffrage movement,immigration restrictions, andhomesteader rights. He is credited with coining a phrase widely adopted by latter-day reformers,Equal rights for all, special privileges to none. On February 6, 1885, he delivered a noted speech arguing in favor of anamendment to theU.S. Constitution granting women's suffrage.
Palmer was appointedUnited States Minister to Spain on March 12, 1889, byU.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison and served from June 17, 1889, to April 19, 1890. He was president of the National Commission of theWorld Columbian Exposition inChicago 1890–1893. He retired to hisWayne County farm near Detroit.
Palmer and his wife,Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer, became known for their generous gifts to the city of Detroit. Among his activities, Palmer was one of the major benefactors of theMichigan Soldiers and Sailors Monument erected atCampus Martius. In honor of his mother, he built theMary W. Palmer Memorial Church. He was also one of the founders and the first president of the Detroit Museum of Art (now known as theDetroit Institute of Arts), to which he contributed $16,000 and its current building stands on the site of Palmer's former home.
Lizzie Palmer in 1901 commissioned theMerrill Fountain in Campus Martius, dedicated in honor of her father. New York architectsCarrere and Hastings are responsible for the design. The fountain was moved toPalmer Park in 1926. She bequeathed $3 million to found theMerrill-Palmer Institute in 1916, which is a national center for child and family development and is now affiliated withWayne State University and located in theformer house ofCharles Lang Freer.
In 1897, Palmer donated 140 acres (60 hectares) of land alongWoodward Avenue to the city for use as a public park. This land formed the basis ofPalmer Park. Palmer had inherited the land from his grandfather Michigan Territorial Judge James Witherell. In 1885, the Palmers had had the prominent architecture firm of Mason & Rice design a rustic log cabin-style summer house on the land, which still remains in the park, although it is currently closed to visitors.
Palmer was aUnitarian and a member of theFreemasons. He died in Detroit and is interred inElmwood Cemetery.
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from Michigan 1883–1889 Served alongside:Omar D. Conger andFrancis B. Stockbridge | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Minister to Spain 1889–1890 | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 2 | ||
| Agriculture (1829–1857; 1863–1881) | | |
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| Agriculture and Forestry (1884–1977) | ||
| Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (1977–) | ||
| Ministers Plenipotentiary to Spain (1779–1825) | |
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| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain (1825–1913) | |
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Spain (1913–present) | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
