Mark H. Dunnell

Mark Dunnell

Mark Hill Dunnell (July 2, 1823 – August 9, 1904) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota from 1871 to 1883 and from 1889 to 1891.

Biography

Born in Buxton, York County, Maine, he completed preparatory studies, and was graduated from Waterville College (now Colby College), Waterville, Maine, in 1849. For five years he was principal of the Norway and Hebron Academies. He became a member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1854 and served in the Maine Senate in 1855. He served as state superintendent of common schools in 1855 and 1857 – 1859. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1856. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1856 and commenced practice in Portland, Maine, in 1860. He entered the Union Army as colonel of the 5th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, May 6, 1861, but mustered out on August 31, 1861. He served as United States consul at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1861 and 1862.

Dunnell moved to Minnesota in 1865, settling first in Winona, in 1865, and moving to Owatonna in 1867. He became a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1867 and served as state superintendent of public instruction from April 2, 1867, to August 1870, when he resigned.

He was elected as a Republican to the 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, and 47th Congresses, (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1883); unsuccessful candidate for Speaker of the Forty-Seventh Congress; was not a candidate for renomination in 1882; unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1883; elected to the 51st Congress, (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890 to the 52nd Congress; delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1892.

He was one of the founders and a member of the board of trustees of Pillsbury Military Academy (now Pillsbury Baptist Bible College) in Owatonna.

Dunnell died in Owatonna in 1904 and is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.

References

• Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
• Mark H. Dunnell at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-10-18

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Morton S. Wilkinson	U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 1st congressional district 1871 – 1883	Succeeded by Milo White
Preceded by Thomas Wilson	U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 1st congressional district 1889 – 1891	Succeeded by William H. Harries

Persondata
Name	Dunnell, Mark H.
Alternative names
Short description	Union Army officer, politician
Date of birth	July 2, 1823
Place of birth	Buxton, York County, Maine
Date of death	August 9, 1904
Place of death	Owatonna, Minnesota