James Moore Wayne (1790-1867) served two tenures as president of the Georgia Historical Society, spanning from 1841-1854, and again from 1856-1862. He is perhaps remembered most for his appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1835, on which he served until his death in 1867. He played a pivotal role in the Court’s decision in the 1857 case Dred Scott v. Sandford. Prior to his time on the Supreme Court and as president of GHS, Justice Moore served as the Mayor of Savannah, as a member of the Georgia state legislature, and in the US House of Representatives. Wayne did not support secession and remained on the Court throughout the Civil War. Wayne died in Washington DC on July 5, 1867, and is buried in Savannah’s Laurel Grove Cemetery.

Sources:

• James M. Wayne’s page on the New Georgia Encyclopedia
• Supreme Court Historical Society