William Freeman Vilas

William Vilas (1840–1908) achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel during the Civil War. He fought alongside General Grant's Army of the Tennessee at the siege and fall of Vicksburg, and a statue of Vilas stands at Vicksburg National Military Park to this day. After the war Vilas returned to Wisconsin to practice and teach law, developing a reputation as a strong orator. Vilas joined President Cleveland's Cabinet as the postmaster general. Three years later, Vilas was still in Cleveland's Cabinet but had become secretary of the Interior, replacing Lucius Lamar after his move to the Supreme Court. At Interior, Vilas reduced the budget, cleared a backlog of legal issues, and further structured the Department. He favored dams, logging and Indian land allotment. After leaving office, he served a term in the U.S. Senate and then became a regent at the University of Wisconsin.