Hugh S. Legaré
Hugh Swinton Legaré (/lɪˈɡriː/ lih-GREE; January 2, 1797 – June 20, 1843) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician from South Carolina who served as the 16th United States Attorney General under President John Tyler.
Hugh Legaré | |
|---|---|
| United States Secretary of State | |
Ad interim | |
| In office May 9, 1843 – June 20, 1843 | |
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
| Succeeded by | William S. Derrick (ad interim) |
| 16th United States Attorney General | |
| In office September 13, 1841 – June 20, 1843 | |
| President | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | John J. Crittenden |
| Succeeded by | John Nelson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | |
| Preceded by | Henry L. Pinckney |
| Succeeded by | Isaac E. Holmes |
| United States Minister to Belgium Acting | |
| In office September 25, 1832 – June 9, 1836 | |
| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Virgil Maxcy |
| 7th Attorney General of South Carolina | |
| In office November 27, 1830 – November 29, 1832 | |
| Governor | James Hamilton Jr. |
| Preceded by | James L. Petigru |
| Succeeded by | Robert Barnwell Rhett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hugh Swinton Legaré January 2, 1797 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 20, 1843 (aged 46) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of South Carolina, Columbia (BA) |
Legaré served as Attorney General of South Carolina from 1830 to 1832 before President Andrew Jackson appointed him as the acting minister to the new Kingdom of Belgium. On his return to the United States, he was elected to represent Charleston in the United States House of Representatives but lost re-election to Isaac E. Holmes.
Following the 1841 death of President William Henry Harrison and the resignation of Whigs from the cabinet, Legaré was named United States Attorney General by John Tyler. He served as Attorney General until his death in office on June 20, 1843. For the final month of his life, Legaré also served as United States Secretary of State ad interim following the resignation of Daniel Webster.