M. Russell (Martin Russell) Thayer

Born in Virginia on January 27, 1819, he later moved to Philadelphia, studied at Amherst College and the University of Pennsylvania, and built a career in law. He was admitted to the bar in 1842, became active in public life, and served Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives during the Civil War era.

After Congress, he continued in the law and later served as a judge in Pennsylvania. Alongside his legal and political work, he also published books and pamphlets, including poetry, speeches, and historical writing, which helps explain why his name appears in library catalogs as both a public figure and an author.

He died in Philadelphia on October 14, 1906. For audiobook listeners, he is an interesting example of a 19th-century American writer whose literary output grew out of a busy career in law, politics, and the courts.