George Washington Emery Dorsey

Dorsey was born in Loudoun County, Virginia and moved with his parents to Preston County, Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1856. He attended private schools and Oak Hill Academy.

During the American Civil War, he recruited a volunteer company and entered the Union Army in August 1861 as a first lieutenant in the 6th Regiment West Virginia Infantry. He was subsequently promoted to captain and major for meritorious service and was mustered out with the Army of the Shenandoah in August 1865.

Dorsey moved to Nebraska in 1866 and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in 1869. He engaged in banking and served as vice president of the State board of agriculture. He was chairman of the Republican State central committee and was elected as a Republican to the Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, and Fifty-first Congresses (March 4, 1885–March 3, 1891). He served as chairman of the Committee on Banking and Currency (Fifty-first Congress) and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890 to the Fifty-second Congress. He engaged in mining enterprises in Nevada and Utah.

Dorsey died in Salt Lake City, Utah and was buried in the City Cemetery, Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska.

• United States Congress. "George Washington Emery Dorsey (id: D000439)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-13