Democrats nominate Arthur Sewall for vice president 120 years ago #OTD (July 11 1896)

(Saturday, July 11, 1896, 3:00 p.m. local time) — Businessman Arthur Sewall of Maine was nominated vice president today at the 1896 Democratic National Convention meeting at Chicago Coliseum in Chicago.

Former Representative Joseph C. Sibley of Pennsylvania finished ahead of newspaper publisher John R. McLean of Ohio and Sewall on the first ballot 163-111-100 votes.

Sewall secured the nomination on the fifth ballot over Senator John W. Daniel of Virginia 568-36 votes to join the ticket headed by former Representative William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska (who was nominated the previous evening).

The Bryan-Sewall ticket would oppose Republicans of William McKinley and Garret Hobart in the United States presidential election, 1896.