Representative Bradford Ripley Wood

Bradford Ripley Wood (September 3, 1800 – September 26, 1889) was a U.S. Representative from New York and a prominent lawyer, educator, and diplomat. Born in Westport, Connecticut, he attended the common schools before pursuing higher education in New York. In 1824 he graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York, an association he would later continue as a trustee. Early in his adult life he was engaged in teaching and delivering public lectures, particularly on temperance and other reform topics, reflecting an early and sustained interest in moral and social improvement.

After his initial work in education and public lecturing, Wood turned to the study of law. He read law under the guidance of Robert Lansing and Harmanus Bleecker, both leading figures at the New York bar, and further refined his legal training at the Litchfield Law School in Connecticut, one of the nation’s earliest formal law schools. He was admitted to the bar in 1827 and commenced the practice of law in Albany, New York, which became his long-term professional and political base. On May 29, 1827, he was appointed solicitor in the New York Court of Chancery, marking the beginning of a steadily advancing legal career.

Wood’s standing in the legal profession continued to grow through the 1830s and 1840s. In 1835 he was admitted as a counselor in the New York Supreme Court, and in 1845 he gained admission to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, underscoring his prominence as an advocate. In addition to his courtroom work, he became involved in local governance, serving as a member of the Albany County board of supervisors in 1844. His legal expertise and civic engagement helped establish him as a respected figure in Albany’s public life.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, Wood contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress and served from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his New York constituents in the national legislature. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846 to the Thirtieth Congress, which ended his formal congressional career but did not diminish his broader public influence.

Following his term in Congress, Wood remained active in civic, educational, and reform causes. He served as president of the Young Men’s Temperance Society in 1851, continuing his long-standing advocacy of temperance. He was a trustee of Union College, his alma mater, as well as Williams College and the Albany Law School, reflecting his commitment to higher education and legal training. He also served as vice president of the Albany Medical College, extending his influence into the field of medical education. Beyond education, he was vice president of the American Home Missionary Society and was instrumental in religious life in Albany as a founder of the First Congregational Church in the city.

In the 1850s, Wood played a notable role in the realignment of American politics. Though originally a Democrat, he became one of the founders of the Republican Party in New York State in 1855, aligning himself with the emerging anti-slavery and reform-oriented coalition. That same year, in November 1855, he ran for a seat on the New York Court of Appeals on the Republican ticket, further demonstrating his prominence in both legal and political circles, although he did not secure election to the bench.

Wood’s public service reached an international dimension during the Civil War era. He was appointed United States Minister to Denmark and served in that diplomatic post from 1861 to 1865. His tenure coincided with the American Civil War, a time when maintaining favorable foreign relations was of particular importance to the Union government. In this capacity, he represented U.S. interests abroad and contributed to the broader diplomatic efforts of the Lincoln administration during a critical period in American history.

In his later years, Wood continued to reside in Albany, New York, where he remained a respected elder statesman of the bar, a figure associated with education, reform, and public service. He died in Albany on September 26, 1889, at the age of eighty-nine. Bradford Ripley Wood was interred in Albany Rural Cemetery in New York, leaving behind a legacy that encompassed legal distinction, congressional service, party leadership, religious and educational philanthropy, and diplomatic representation of the United States abroad.