avid Wallace, Governor of Indiana from 1837 to 1840 was a native of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, born April 24, 1799. He removed with his father to Brookville, Indiana, when quite young, and in early manhood began the study of law in the office of miles Eggleston, distinguished jurist of that day. In 1823, he was admitted to the bar and soon obtained a large practice. He served in the legislature from 1828 to 1830, and in 1831 was elected Lieutenant Governor over John Dumont, an able and distinguished lawyer, who lived at Vevay, on the southern boarder of the state. During his periods of service as legislator and Lieutenant Governor, he was active as an advocate of internal improvements and in establishing a school system, and he was elected governor upon those issues.

In 1841, he was elected to congress from the Indianapolis district, defeating Col. Nathan B. Palmer. As a member of the committee on commerce, he gave the casting vote in favor an appropriation to develop Col. S. T. B. Morse's magnetic telegraph, which vote had great weight in defeating him for re-election in 1843. At the expiration of his term in congress, he resumed the practice of law, which he continued uninterruptedly until 1850, when he was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention from the county of Marion. In 1856, he was elected judge of the court of common pleas, which position he held until his death, on 4 September 1859. Governor Wallace was twice married. His first wife was a daughter of John Test, and his second a daughter of John H. Sanders. The latter still lives and is prominent in reformatory and religious work. When a young may, Governor Wallace had a well-proportioned body, but in his later years, its symmetry was marred by an undue amount of flesh. He had black hair, dark eyes and a ruddy complexion. He was cultured and well bred; his address was good and his manners unexceptionable. He was a laborious and impartial jurist, a painstaking executive, and as an orator had few equals in the nation.