CALHOUN, William Barron, lawyer, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 29 December, 1796; died in Springfield, Massachusetts, 8 November, 1865. He was graduated at Yale in 1814, studied law, and by his talents and integrity soon won his way into public favor. In 1825 he was sent to the legislature, and continued a representative for ten years, being speaker during the last two years. He was elected to congress as a Whig in 1835, and continued there till 1843. He was president of the state senate in 1846 and 1847, secretary of state from 1848 till 1851, bank commissioner from 1853 till 1855, presidential elector in 1844, and mayor of Springfield in 1859. In 1861 he was again a representative for Springfield in the legislature. For many years he was an occasional editorial writer for the Springfield " Republican," and for a long period was a voluminous contribu- tor to its columns. Amherst gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1858.