Willard Hall

Willard Hall (December 24, 1780 – May 10, 1875), was a Delaware attorney and politician from Wilmington in New Castle County. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, who served in the Delaware Senate, as a United States representative from Delaware and as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. He served as the first President of the Delaware Historical Society, was President of the state Bible society, and was instrumental in the formation of the Wilmington Savings Fund Society as a community bank, serving as its president for more than 40 years.

Education and career Born on December 24, 1780, in Westford, Massachusetts, Hall attended the public schools and Westford Academy. He graduated from Harvard University in 1799 and read law in 1803. In September 1831, Hall was among twenty-five founding members elected to serve on the board of the newly formed Wilmington Savings Fund Society, a community bank designed to provide persons with only modest savings a safe place to deposit their funds. On October 1, 1831, Hall was elected president of the bank, a position he held until 1872, when he retired at the age of 92.

Death

Hall died on May 10, 1875, in Wilmington, Delaware,

Religious service Hall served as a ruling elder and Sunday School teacher in the Presbyterian Church.

Legacy The World War II Liberty Ship was named in his honor.

Electoral history + Election resultsYearOfficeSubjectPartyvotes%OpponentPartyvotes%1814U.S. Representative Willard Hall Republican 2,547 20% Thomas Cooper Federalist 3,960 30%1816U.S. Representative Willard Hall Republican 3,534 24% Caleb Rodney Federalist 3,433 23%1818U.S. Representative Willard Hall Republican 3,007 25% Thomas Clayton Federalist 2,902 23%1820U.S. Representative Willard Hall Republican 3,525 24% Louis McLane Federalist 3,918 27%