Hamilton Fish (1808–93)
Statesman
Columbia College 1827

One of New York's great statesmen, Hamilton Fish served as secretary of state under President Ulysses S. Grant. A lawyer by training and an enthusiastic Whig, he served single terms as a U.S. representative, lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator. After the Whig party failed, he aligned with Republicans, supporting Abraham Lincoln and later Andrew Johnson and developing a friendship with Grant. Many observers were surprised nonetheless when Grant named Fish as secretary of state in March 1869, and in fact both men intended that Fish serve only briefly to lend Grant credibility after early missteps. But Fish proved a skilled diplomat and valuable adviser and remained in the position for the remainder of Grant's two terms, outlasting every other cabinet member. He was particularly lauded for helping to smooth American relations with Great Britain by negotiating a system to arbitrate disputes that stemmed from British actions during the Civil War. Fish also helped expand American trade opportunities in Asia, in the Caribbean, and with the then-independent nation of Hawaii, and tempered Grant's interest in annexing the Dominican Republic and aiding Cuban revolution against Spain. When Grant left office in 1877, Fish returned to his estate in the Hudson River valley. In the years that followed, he continued his long tenure as chairman of Columbia's trustees and also for a time was the president of the New-York Historical Society. A son, grandson, and great-grandson—all named Hamilton—would each serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.