born Oct. 29, 1828, Wilmington, Del., U.S.
died Sept. 28, 1898, Dedham, Mass.
U.S. statesman, diplomat, and lawyer.
Born into a prominent political family, he succeeded his father as U.S. senator from Delaware (1869–85). He served as secretary of state (1885–89) and as ambassador to Britain (1893–97), the first U.S. representative to Great Britain to hold that rank. A champion of arbitration, he was critical of the aggressive position of Pres. Grover Cleveland in the dispute with Britain over the Venezuelan boundary (1895).