William Hayden English

William Hayden English.
William Hayden English (August 27, 1822 – February 7, 1896) was a US Representative from Indiana and the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1880. English entered politics at a young age, becoming part of the conservative wing of the state Democratic Party. He was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1851 and served as its speaker at the age of 29. Elected to Congress in 1852, he served four terms, leaving office in 1861. English was a War Democrat, supporting the Union in the Civil War. He was successful in business, and became one of the wealthiest people in Indiana. He returned to political life as Winfield Scott Hancock's running mate in 1880, but they were narrowly defeated by their Republican opponents, James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. Afterwards, English continued in business and wrote two books.