Julius Rockwell

Julius Rockwell (April 26, 1805 – May 19, 1888) was a United States politician from Massachusetts, and the father of Francis Williams Rockwell.

Julius Rockwell
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office June 3, 1854 – January 31, 1855
Appointed by	Emory Washburn
Preceded by	Edward Everett
Succeeded by	Henry Wilson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 7th district
In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1851
Preceded by	George N. Briggs
Succeeded by	John Z. Goodrich
Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1834–1837
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1835–1837
Preceded by	William B. Calhoun
Succeeded by	Robert Charles Winthrop
Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1858–1858
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1858–1858
Preceded by	Charles A. Phelps
Succeeded by	Charles Hale
Personal details
Born	(1805-04-26)April 26, 1805 Colebrook, Connecticut
Died	May 19, 1888(1888-05-19) (aged 83) Lenox, Massachusetts
Political party	Whig
Other political affiliations	Republican Party
Alma mater	Yale University
Profession	Law

Rockwell was born in Colebrook, Connecticut and educated at private schools and then Yale, where he studied law, graduating in 1826. He was admitted to the bar and in 1830 commenced practice in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1834 and served four years, three of them as Speaker. Rockwell was appointed commissioner of the Bank of Massachusetts from 1838 to 1840.

In 1842 he successfully ran as a Whig candidate for the House of Representatives and was re-elected three times, serving from 1843 to 1851. He did not seek renomination in 1850. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1853, and was appointed to the Senate in 1854 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward Everett, serving from June 3, 1854 to January 31, 1855, when his successor Henry Wilson was elected. Rockwell voted in the electoral college for the Republican candidate John C. Frémont in the presidential election of 1856.

Rockwell returned to his old post of Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1858, until his appointment to the Massachusetts Superior Court in 1859.[1] He retired as a judge in 1886 and died May 19, 1888 in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he is buried.