:George W. Merrill

{{Short description|American lawyer and diplomat}}{{Infobox officeholder

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1837|06|26}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1914|01|10|1837|06|26}}

| death_place = San Francisco, California

| birth_place = Turner, Maine, US

| image = George W. Merrill - Leslie.png

| caption = Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, April 11, 1885

| ambassador_from =

| country =

| office = United States Minister to Hawaii

| term = 1885–1889

| predecessor = Rollin M. Daggett

| successor = John L. Stevens

| president = Grover Cleveland

| office1 = Member of the Nevada Legislature

| term1 = 1881–1883

| office2 = District Attorney of Eureka County, Nevada

| term2 = 1874–1880

| office3 = District Attorney of Nye County, Nevada

| term3 = 1864–1868

| occupation = Lawyer

| alma_mater = Bowdoin College

| party = Democratic

| prior_term1 =

}}

George W. Merrill (June 26, 1837 – January 10, 1914) was an American politician of the 19th century. He was born in Turner, Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1859 before studying law. He was admitted to the bar in Indiana in 1861. During the American Civil War, he joined the 16th Indiana Infantry Regiment.{{Cite book |last1=Ritter |first1=Charles F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LkUUAQAAIAAJ&q=%22MERRILL,+GEORGE+W.+(Nevada,+1881)+was+born+on+June+26,+1837,+in+Turner,+Androscoggin+County,+Maine%22+hawaii |title=American Legislative Leaders, 1850-1910 |last2=Wakelyn |first2=Jon L. |last3=Samuel Walker |first3=J. |year=1989 |isbn=9780313239434}}

Merrill was District Attorney of Nye County, Nevada from 1864 to 1868. From 1874 to 1880, he served as District Attorney of Eureka County, Nevada, before being elected to the Nevada Legislature in 1880.

On April 2, 1885, nominated by President Grover Cleveland, Merrill was appointed U.S. Minister Resident (similar to modern-day ambassador) to the Kingdom of Hawaii. He presented his credentials on June 12, 1885, and was recalled on September 23, 1889.{{cite web |title= George W. Merrill |work= official web site |publisher= United States Department of State |url= https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/merrill-george-w |access-date= September 16, 2010 }}

He replaced Rollin M. Daggett, and was replaced by John L. Stevens.{{cite web |title= U.S. Chiefs of Mission for Hawaii |work= official web site |publisher= United States Department of State |url= https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/chiefsofmission/hawaii |access-date= September 16, 2010 }}

He later worked in San Francisco, California as a lawyer.{{Cite web|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85047084/1890-07-29/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1890&index=3&rows=20&words=G+Merrill+W&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Hawaii&date2=1922&proxtext=%22G+W+Merrill%22&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title = The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, July 29, 1890, Image 3|date = 29 July 1890}} He died there of an illness of seven weeks on January 10, 1914, aged 76.{{Cite web|url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014682/1914-01-20/ed-2/seq-1/#date1=1890&index=1&rows=20&words=George+Merrill+W&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Hawaii&date2=1922&proxtext=%22George+W+Merrill%22&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1|title=Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-current, January 20, 1914, 3:30 Edition, Image 1|date=20 January 1914}}