Choate, Joseph Hodges, 1832-1917

Lawyer, author, and diplomat.

From the description of Joseph Hodges Choate papers, 1745-1929 (bulk 1852-1917). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79700965

Prominent New York lawyer, diplomat, and leader in humanitarian and cultural affairs.

From the description of Letter : New York, N.Y., to John H. Stephens, Chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., 1916 Apr. 3. (Newberry Library). WorldCat record id: 34241616

Choate, a 1854 graduate of Harvard Law School, practiced law in New York City, gaining recognition for his work in the Tweed Ring prosecution and the Standard Oil antitrust case. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain (1899-1905) and as head of the American delegation to the Second Hague Conference of 1907.

From the description of Letters and telegram of Joseph H. Choate, 1882-1896. (Harvard Law School Library). WorldCat record id: 234337956

Biographical Note

• 1832, Jan. 24: Born, Salem, Mass.
• 1852: A.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1854: LL.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• 1855 - 1917 : Practiced law with the firm of Butler, Evarts and Southmayd (later Evarts, Choate, Sherman and Leon), New York, N.Y.
• 1860: A.M., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass
• 1861: Married Caroline Dutcher Sterling
• 1869 - 1917 : Founder and trustee, American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y.
• 1870 - 1917 : Incorporator, trustee, and at times vice president, chairman of the law committee and member of the executive committee, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.
• 1890: Member, commission to revise the judicial system of New York
• 1894: President, New York Constitutional Convention
• 1897: Candidate for the United States Senate
• 1899 - 1905 : United States ambassador to Great Britain
• 1907: United States ambassador and first delegate, International Peace Conference at the Hague, Netherlands
• 1917, May 14: Died, New York, N.Y.

From the guide to the Joseph Hodges Choate Papers, 1745-1929, (bulk 1852-1917), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Joseph Hodges Choate (1832-1917), a successful lawyer and diplomat, was born on January 24, 1832, in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1852 followed by Harvard Law School in 1854. He was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1855 and then the New York bar in 1856, taking a position at the law office of Scudder and Carter in New York, New York. He then entered the firm of Butler, Evarts and Southmayd and in 1859 was admitted to the firm as a partner with its name changing to the firm of Evarts, Southmayd and Choate. In 1884, the firm changed its name again to Evarts, Choate and Beaman and became one of the leading law practices in New York. In 1871, Choate became a member of the Committee of Seventy, which was instrumental in bringing the reign of the corrupt “Boss” William M. Tweed (1823-1878) to an end. In addition, Choate also served as the president of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York City Bar Association.

In January 1899, Choate retired from his successful law career and was appointed United States ambassador to the United Kingdom by President William McKinley (1843-1901). Choate remained in this position until the spring of 1905 and was effective in fostering good relations between the two countries. In 1907, he was one of the United States representatives at the second Hague Peace Conference in the Netherlands. Choate was an ardent supporter of the Allies during World War I (1914-1918) and spoke publicly about the war at various speaking engagements in New York. Joseph Hodges Choate died suddenly at this home on 8 East Sixty-Third Street in New York City on May 14, 1917, after suffering a heart attack.

From the guide to the Joseph Hodges Choate letter, Choate (Joseph Hodges) letter, 1915, (Redwood Library and Athenaeum)