Quick Facts
Biography
William M. Ampt, also known as Citizen Ampt for his "staunch views on the duties of a citizen", (February 1, 1840 in Trenton, Ohio – December 16, 1909 in Cincinnati, Ohio) was a noted American lawyer.
Biography
He was born on February 1, 1840 in Trenton, Ohio to Francis Ampt of Hesse-Darmstadt and Kunigunda Rosa of Bavaria.
After graduating from Oberlin College (as valedictorian) in 1862, he attended the Albany Law School and subsequently served as city solicitor of Lima, Ohio, and as prosecuting attorney of Hamilton County, Ohio.
In 1870 he married Mary Eliza Gunckel.
In 1876, he played a role in the disputed presidential election, traveling to Florida, where he convinced electoral officers to reject votes from two pro-Tilden precincts in Hamilton County.
Ampt was also a proponent of the constructed language Volapük, and was one of the two American delegates to the 1889 international Volapük convention in Paris.
He died on December 16, 1909 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Upon his death, it was revealed that Ampt had bequeathed his entire estate (worth $150,000 in 1909 money) to the city of Cincinnati, to sponsor free public concerts; these concerts were still taking place as of 2012.