Thomas Wilson Spence

Thomas W. Spence
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Fond du Lac 3rd district
In office
January 6, 1879 – January 5, 1880
Preceded byJames Fitzgerald
Succeeded byJohn F. Ware
In office
January 1, 1877 – January 7, 1878
Preceded byLambert Brost
Succeeded byJames Fitzgerald
Personal details
Born(1846-09-02)September 2, 1846
Dungannon, County Tyrone, Ireland, UK
DiedFebruary 23, 1912(1912-02-23) (aged 65)
Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Cause of deathHeart attack
Resting placeRienzi Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Maria Cornelia Tallmadge
(m. 1874⁠–⁠1912)
Children
  • Thomas Henry Spence
  • (1875–1955)
Alma materCornell University
ProfessionLawyer
Signature

Thomas Wilson Spence (September 2, 1846 – February 23, 1912) was an Irish American immigrant, lawyer, and politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the city of Fond du Lac during the 1877 and 1879 sessions. As a young man, he was one of the "Ohio Five", who were among the early students of Cornell University. Spence rose to legal prominence in Milwaukee, and died of a heart attack in the chambers of the Wisconsin Supreme Court while making oral arguments. "He died with his tie on."[1][2]

  1. ^ "Thos. W. Spence Stricken Down in Court Room". Green Bay Press-Gazette. February 24, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved October 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Obituary: T. W. Spence '70" (PDF). Cornell Alumni News. XIV (22): 261. March 6, 1912. Retrieved August 19, 2022.