George F. Edmunds

George F. Edmunds
Edmunds c. 1865–80
Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
In office December 1885 – November 1, 1891
Preceded by	John Sherman
Succeeded by	John Sherman
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office March 3, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	David Davis
Succeeded by	John Sherman
United States Senator from Vermont
In office April 3, 1866 – November 1, 1891
Preceded by	Solomon Foot
Succeeded by	Redfield Proctor
President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate
In office 1861–1862
Preceded by	Frederick E. Woodbridge
Succeeded by	Henry E. Stoughton
Member of the Vermont Senate from Chittenden County
In office 1861–1863 Serving with John H. Woodward, Elmer Beecher, Jed P. Clark, A. C. Welch
Preceded by	John H. Woodward, Asahel Peck, Elmer Beecher
Succeeded by	Leverett B. Englesby, Amos Hobart, A. J. Crane
Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1857–1860
Preceded by	George W. Grandey
Succeeded by	Augustus P. Hunton
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Burlington
In office 1854–1860
Preceded by	Edward C. Palmer
Succeeded by	Carlous Noyes
Personal details
Born	George Franklin Edmunds (1828-02-01)February 1, 1828 Richmond, Vermont, U.S.
Died	February 27, 1919(1919-02-27) (aged 91) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Resting place	Green Mount Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Susan Marsh Edmunds
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

George Franklin Edmunds (February 1, 1828 – February 27, 1919) was an American attorney and Republican politician who represented the state of Vermont in the United States Senate from 1866 to 1891. He was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1880 and 1884 as a leading representative of New England and of the faction favoring civil service reform.

Edmunds was born in Richmond, Vermont and began to study law while still a teenager; he proved an adept student, and was admitted to the bar as soon as he reached the minimum required age of 21. He practiced in Burlington and became active in local politics and government. Before entering the Senate, he served in a number of high-profile positions in state government, including Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives and President pro tempore of the Vermont State Senate.

Edmunds was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1866, filling the vacancy caused by the death of Solomon Foot. He was subsequently elected by the Vermont General Assembly, and reelected in 1868, 1874, 1880, and 1886 before resigning in November 1891. As a longtime member of the U.S. Senate, he served in a variety of leadership posts, including chairman of the committees on Pensions, the Judiciary, the Private Land Claims, and Foreign Relations. He was also the leader of the Senate Republicans as President pro tempore of the Senate and chairman of the Republican Conference. Edmunds was an unsuccessful candidate for president at the 1880 and 1884 Republican National Conventions.

After leaving the Senate he practiced law in Philadelphia. Edmunds later lived in retirement in Pasadena, California, where he died in 1919. He was buried at Green Mount Cemetery in Burlington, Vermont.