William F. Wharton

William Fisher Wharton was born in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, Massachusetts on June 28, 1847; he was the son of William Craig and Nancy W. Wharton. Both of his parents were well known in upper-class Boston society. William attended Harvard College, graduating in 1870 with honors in Greek, Latin and Ancient History. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1873 and was admitted to the bar not long afterwards. After traveling in Europe for several years, he began practicing law in Boston in 1875. ==Massachusetts political career==

Wharton entered politics in late 1879, when he first ran for office. In December of that year, Boston elected a Democratic mayor, Frederick O. Prince, but Republicans won the majority in the Common Council (later known as the City Council); among the elected Republicans was William F. Wharton. He was appointed to two committees: finance and ordinances. He became known for his work revising and updating city ordinances, and by 1884, after having been re-elected twice, he was named chairman of the ordinances committee. Wharton was well-regarded by the city's political establishment: the Boston Herald praised his work on the council, saying he had become "one of the most influential members of the lower branch of the city government." Subsequently, Wharton continued to move up in Massachusetts politics, getting elected to the House of Representatives in 1885. He served there until 1888, becoming the chairman of the rules committee as well as working on issues related to the railroads. ==National politics==

Wharton was chosen by Republican President Benjamin Harrison to serve as Assistant Secretary of State. He took the oath of office on April 11, 1889. It does not appear that Wharton had as influential a role in national politics as he had in Massachusetts: newspaper articles of that time rarely mentioned him, focusing instead on Secretary of State James G. Blaine. But when Blaine became ill in 1892, Wharton's duties and responsibilities increased. ==After politics==

William F. Wharton moved back to his home on Beacon Street in downtown Boston, and while he remained a loyal supporter of Republican causes, he did not run for office again, despite calls by the Boston Herald for him to do so. He was active in the Boston Bar Association, as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association. He and his wife had a summer home in Groton, where they socialized with members of Boston's most influential families. Wharton died at his Boston home, on May 20, 1919, at the age of 72. But although Wharton remains relatively unknown, at least now, he does have his own Wikipedia entry. ==References==