William B. Allison

William B. Allison
Allison in 1870
Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
In office March 4, 1897 – August 4, 1908
Preceded by	John Sherman
Succeeded by	Eugene Hale
United States Senator from Iowa
In office March 4, 1873 – August 4, 1908
Preceded by	James Harlan
Succeeded by	Albert B. Cummins
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1871
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	William G. Donnan
Personal details
Born	William Boyd Allison (1829-03-02)March 2, 1829 Perry, Ohio, U.S.
Died	August 4, 1908(1908-08-04) (aged 79) Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Whig; Know Nothing; Republican
Spouse(s)	Anna Carter Allison Mary Neally Allison
Education	Allegheny College Western Reserve College
Profession	Politician, Lawyer
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars	American Civil War

William Boyd Allison (March 2, 1829 – August 4, 1908) was an American politician. An early leader of the Iowa Republican Party, he represented northeastern Iowa in the United States House of Representatives before representing his state in the United States Senate. By the 1890s, Allison had become 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 established a legal practice in Dubuque, Iowa and became a prominent member of the nascent Iowa Republican Party. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention and won election to the House of Representatives in 1862. He served four terms in the House and won election to the Senate in 1872. He became chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, serving for all but two years between 1881 and 1908. Four different Republican presidents asked Allison to join their Cabinet, but Allison declined each offer. A significant number of delegates supported his presidential nomination at the 1888 and 1896 Republican National Conventions.

Allison emerged as a centrist and pragmatic leader in the Senate, and he helped pass several important bills. The Bland–Allison Act of 1878 restored bimetallism, but in a less inflationary manner than had been sought by Congressman Richard P. Bland. A prominent advocate of higher tariffs, Allison played a major role in the passage of the McKinley Tariff and the Dingley Act. He also helped pass the Hepburn Act by offering the Allison amendment, which granted courts the power to review the Interstate Commerce Commission's railroad rate-setting. Allison sought a record seventh term in 1908, but died shortly after winning the Republican primary against progressive leader Albert B. Cummins.