Attorney General: Richard Rush

Richard Rush, the youngest person ever appointed Attorney General at the age of 34, was born on August 29, 1780, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Rush entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1793 at the age of 13 and graduated in 1797. He went on to study law with William Lewis, a prominent figure in Philadelphia legal circles, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1800. In 1811, he served briefly as attorney general of Pennsylvania before President James Madison appointed him Comptroller of the Treasury.

Rush was appointed Attorney General of the United States by President Madison on February 10, 1814, after declining the office of the Secretary of the Treasury. For a short time in 1817, upon James Monroe’s succession to the presidency, Rush performed the duties of Secretary of State but was never formally appointed to that position. From 1817 to 1825, he served as U.S. Minister to Great Britain. He was recalled to serve as Secretary of the Treasury under President John Quincy Adams and was later Adams’ vice presidential running mate. In 1847, after several years in retirement, he was President James Polk’s choice for U.S. Minister to France and held that office for four years. Rush also served on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. He authored A Residence at the Court of London and other literary works. Rush died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 30, 1859.