George A. Jenks

George Augustus Jenks (March 25, 1836 – February 10, 1908) was a politician from Pennsylvania and Solicitor General.
Jenks was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on March 25, 1836. He graduated from Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (now Washington & Jefferson College) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1858. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Two years later he married Mary A. Mabon, and they had one daughter, Emma Jenks (1862-1926), who married Benjamin F. Shively. Jenks first worked as a lawyer before beginning a career as a judge and politician. He served as a Congressman for Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1877, in the 44th Congress. He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Invalid Pensions during the Forty-fourth Congress. He was also one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1876 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against William W. Belknap, ex-Secretary of War.
Following his tenure in Congress, Jenks was nominated by the Democrats for judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1880. He was defeated by Henry Green, of Easton, PA. He was later selected as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Interior; a position which he held from 1885 to 1886.
From 1886 to 1889 Jenks served as United States Solicitor General, during President Grover Cleveland’s first term. He was the Democratic nominee for governorship of Pennsylvania in 1898, as well as the Democratic senatorial nominee in 1899 during the Quay deadlock. Jenks died February 10, 1908 at his home in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Office of the Solicitor General.