Senator Orville Hickman Browning

Orville Hickman Browning served as a Senator from Illinois in the United States Congress from 1861 to 1863. A member of the Republican Party, Orville Hickman Browning contributed to the legislative process during 1 term in office.

Orville Hickman Browning’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, Orville Hickman Browning participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Orville Hickman Browning (February 10, 1806 – August 10, 1881) was an attorney in Illinois and a politician who was active in the Whig and Republican parties. He served as a U.S. Senator and the 9th U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Born in Kentucky, and trained as a lawyer, Browning settled in Illinois, where he served in the militia during the Black Hawk War, established himself as a successful attorney, and became involved in politics as a Whig. He served in the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives, and ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives. When the Whig Party broke apart in the mid-1850s and the Republican Party was formed as the country’s major anti-slavery party, Browning took part in the convention that organized the party in Illinois. In 1861, Browning was appointed to the United States Senate seat left vacant by the death of Stephen A. Douglas; he served until January 1863, after which he resumed practicing law. After the death of Abraham Lincoln, Browning became a supporter of Andrew Johnson. In 1866, Johnson named Browning as Secretary of the Interior, and Browning served until the end of Johnson’s term in March 1869. After leaving office, Browning practiced law in Washington, D.C., and Illinois. He was elected as a Democratic candidate for a delegate’s position at the 1869–1870 Illinois constitutional convention. He died in Illinois in 1881.