Hugh A. Dinsmore

Hugh Anderson Dinsmore
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905
Preceded by	Thomas C. McRae
Succeeded by	John C. Floyd
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 5th district
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903
Preceded by	Samuel W. Peel
Succeeded by	Charles C. Reid
United States Consul General to Korea
In office April 13, 1887 – May 26, 1890
President	Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison
Preceded by	William Harwar Parker
Succeeded by	Augustine Heard
Personal details
Born	December 24, 1850 (1850-12-24) Cave Springs, Arkansas
Died	May 2, 1930 (1930-05-03) (aged 79) St. Louis, Missouri
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Elizabeth Le Grand Fisher Dinsmore
Children	Hamilton A. Dinsmore
Signature

Hugh Anderson Dinsmore (December 24, 1850 – May 2, 1930) was an American lawyer and politician who served six terms as and a U.S. Representative from Arkansas from 1893 to 1905.

He was a vocal opponent of the Annexation of Hawaii.

Born at Cave Springs, Arkansas, Dinsmore was the son of Alexander Winchester and Catherine Anderson Dinsmore. He attended private schools in Benton and Washington Counties. He married Elizabeth Le Grand Fisher of St. Louis, Missouri, on May 25, 1883. They had one son, Hamilton; and though Elizabeth died on June 19, 1886, he never remarried.^[1]

Dinsmore worked as a store clerk and later a traveling salesman for a St. Louis firm. Deciding to become a lawyer, he persuaded Samuel N. Elliott of Bentonville to proctor him. In 1872 Governor Elisha Baxter appointed him the eleventh Benton County Circuit Court clerk. He resigned in 1874, when he was admitted to the bar, and the following year, he moved to Fayetteville, where he entered into a law partnership with David Walker. In 1878, he was elected prosecuting attorney for the Fourth Judicial District, and served until 1884.

In January 1887, Dinsmore was appointed by President Cleveland as Minister Resident and consul general to the Kingdom of Korea and served until May 25, 1890. Because of his acquaintance with Korea and Korean matters, he was sought out by a young Syngman Rhee in January 1905, while he was on his diplomatic mission United States to secure aid for Korea against Japanese annexation. Dinsmore succeeded in getting Rhee a brief meeting with Secretary of State John Hay, but Rhee's mission would ultimately end in failure.^[2]

After he resumed the practice of law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Dinsmore was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third and to the five succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1893 to March 3, 1905.^[3][4] He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1904 to the Fifty-ninth Congress.

He resumed the practice of law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and in later years devoted most of his time to the management of his farming interests. He served as member of the board of trustees of the University of Arkansas.^[5]

Dinsmore died in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 2, 1930 (age 79 years, 129 days). He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Fayetteville, Arkansas.^[6]

• United States Congress. "Hugh A. Dinsmore (id: D000358)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Works by or about Hugh A. Dinsmore at the Internet Archive
• Hugh A. Dinsmore at Find a Grave
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by George Clayton Foulk	Resident Minister to the Kingdom of Korea 1887 – 1890	Succeeded by Augustine Heard II
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Samuel W. Peel	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 5th congressional district 1893 – 1903	Succeeded by Charles C. Reid
Preceded by Thomas C. McRae	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd congressional district 1903 – 1905	Succeeded by John C. Floyd