George Douglas Wise (June 4, 1831 – February 4, 1908) was an American slave owner,[1] white supremacist, and U.S. Representative from Virginia. He was nephew of Henry Alexander Wise, and cousin of John Sergeant Wise and Richard Alsop Wise.
George Douglas Wise
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Edmund Waddill, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Tazewell Ellett |
| In office March 4, 1881 – April 10, 1890 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph E. Johnston |
| Succeeded by | Edmund Waddill, Jr. |
| Chairman of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce | |
| In office March 28, 1892 – March 3, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Roger Quarles Mills |
| Succeeded by | William Peters Hepburn |
| Chairman of the House Committee on Manufactures | |
| In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | John Holroyd Bagley, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Henry Bacon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 4, 1831 Deep Creek, Accomack County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 4, 1908(1908-02-04) (aged 76) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Indiana University College of William and Mary |
| Profession | lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
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Wise was the son of Tully Robinson and Margaret Douglas Pettitt (Wise) Wise, who were double second cousins.[2] He was born at "Deep Creek," the Wise estate in Accomack County, near Onancock, Virginia, Wise was graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington. He studied law in the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Richmond, Virginia. He served as captain in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He was Commonwealth's attorney of the city of Richmond from 1870 to 1889, when he resigned.
Wise was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-seventh and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1889). He served as chairman of the Committee on Manufactures (Forty-ninth Congress). Presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Fifty-first Congress and served from March 4, 1889, to April 10, 1890, when he was succeeded by Edmund Waddill, Jr., who contested his election.
Wise embraced ideas of a master race, once telling the House of Representatives that "if I could I would not have the mingling of Caucasian blood with that of any inferior race."[3] He referred to Chinese immigrants as "this indigestible mass . . . inferior in mental and moral qualities . . . a continual menace to the existence of republican institutions.”[4]
Wise was elected to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895). He served as chairman of the committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses). Wise was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1901-1902. He died in Richmond, Virginia, February 4, 1908. He was interred in Hollywood Cemetery.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 3rd congressional district 1881–1890 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Edmund Waddill, Jr. |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 3rd congressional district 1891–1895 |
Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by
Roger Quarles Mills |
Chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee 1892–1895 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by
John Holroyd Bagley, Jr. |
Chairman of the House Manufactures Committee 1887–1889 |
Succeeded by
Henry Bacon |
