Evarts, William Maxwell

(born Feb. 6, 1818, Boston, Mass., U.S.—died Feb. 28, 1901, New York, N.Y.) U.S. lawyer. He served as counsel for Pres. Andrew Johnson in his impeachment trial (1868). After Johnson's acquittal, he served as U.S. attorney general (1868–69), then represented the U.S. in the Alabama claims arbitration at Geneva (1872). He was Republican chief counsel in the election dispute between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden in 1876. As Hayes's secretary of state (1877–81), he asserted U.S. interests over a proposed canal in Panama. He later served in the U.S. Senate (1885–91).

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica