Alexander McDonald

Alexander McDonald (April 10, 1832 – December 13, 1903) was a Republican politician who represented Arkansas in the U.S. Senate from 1868 to 1871.

Biography
McDonald was born near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and attended Dickinson Seminary, in Williamsport, and Lewisburg University. In 1857, he moved to Kansas and became involved in business, serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Upon completion of his service, McDonald grew interested in banking in Arkansas (in 1863), finally settling in Little Rock. He served as a member of the state's constitutional convention; upon readmission to the Union he was elected to the Senate in 1868, serving only one term before being defeated for reelection in 1870. McDonald was later commissioned by Chester A. Arthur to examine the conditions of portions of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which duty he discharged in 1885. Later in his career, he became interested in the development of railroads, moving to New York City in 1900. McDonald died in Norwood, New York; his body was returned to Lock Haven for burial.