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Mark Skinner

About

Mark T. Skinner was an American politician, attorney, and philanthropist from Vermont. The son of a Vermont politician and judge, Skinner decided to follow his father into the legal profession. He moved west to Chicago, Illinois and was named City Attorney for Chicago and United States Attorney for the Illinois District. In 1846, Skinner was elected to a term in the Illinois House of Representatives. During the Civil War, during which he lost his only son, Skinner served on the United States Sanitary Commission and oversaw a similar organization in Chicago. After retiring from law and politics, he managed real estate and focused on charitable endeavors.