"(January 30 , 1816 -- September 1, 1894). Nathanial Prentice Banks was a machinist, editor, clerk, lawyer, governor, soldier, vice president of a railroad company, U.S. Marshall, public servant, and American politician. Banks was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was an editor of a weekly paper in Waltham, Massachusetts and a clerk in the customhouse in Boston. Banks studied law and was admitted to the Suffolk County bar. He was a member of the State house of representatives (1849 - 1852) where he served as speaker for two years and was a member of the State constitutional convention of 1853. He was governor of Massachusetts (January 1858 - January 1861) and was vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad. Banks was a major general of Volunteers in the Union Army (may 16, 1861) when he was honorably mustered out August 24, 1865. He also served as a member of the State senate in 1874 and was appointed a U.S. marshal (March 11, 1879 - April 23, 1888). He was elected as a Democrat to the 33rd Congress, candidate of the American Party to the 34th Congress, and as a Republican to the 35th Congress (March 4, 1853 - December 24, 1857) when he resigned to become governor. He served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 34th Congress. He was elected as a Republican to the 39th congress to fill the vacancy by the resignation of Daniel Gooch, and was reelected as a Republican to the 40th, 41st, and 42nd Congresses. He was an unsuccessful Liberal and Democratic candidate to the 43rd Congress. He was elected as an Independent to the 44th Congress and as a Republican to the 45th Congress (March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1879). He was no re-elected to the 46th Congress. He was then elected as a Republican to the 51st Congress (March 4, 1889- March 3, 1891) where he served as Chairman on the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Interior. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1890 to the 52nd Congress. [Source: 'Biographical Directory of the United states Congress 1774 - Present', available at https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=B000116]"