Background
Born in Canajoharie, New York, Knox was the son of James and Nancy (Ehle) Knox.
United States representative lawyer politician
Born in Canajoharie, New York, Knox was the son of James and Nancy (Ehle) Knox.
After graduation from Yale in 1830, he studied law with William.
Knox entered the Sophomore class of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, in 1827, and a year later entered the corresponding class at Yale College, the former institution having been temporarily broken up by dissensions. H. Maynard and Joshua A. Spencer, in Utica, New New York He became the proprietor and occasional editor of the village newspaper, engaged extensively in farming, and established a very thriving business in the manufacture of agricultural implements.
In 1846 he was an unsuccessful candidate for United States Congress.
He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1847. Knox was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-third Congress in and reelected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857).
He served as chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals (Thirty-fourth Congress). Owing to failing eyesight, he went to Europe in October, 1859, and after a successful operation for cataract returned in January, 1861.
In September, 1865, he again visited Europe for an operation on his eyes, and remained until May, 1869.
And in 1872-1873 made a third foreign visit. He died in Knoxville, after an illness of two weeks, October 9, 1876, aged 69 years.
He had no children.
He was interred in City Cemetery. From his ample estate he gave during his lifetime the sum of $10,000 to Yale, $20,000 to Hamilton College, and upwards of $30,000 to educational institutions in his adopted county. He also left in his last will a further sum of money for the promotion of education.
The degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by Hamilton College in 1862.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. This article incorporates public domain material from the Yale Obituary Record.
Member United States House
