Crapo, William Wallace, 1830-1926

William Wallace Crapo (May 16, 1830 – February 28, 1926) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. He was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of James Buffinton. He served slightly more than three terms in congress from November 2, 1875 to March 3, 1883 Born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, died in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Crapo is interred in the Rural Cemetery. He was a prominent attorney in New Bedford. Among his clients was Hetty Green. William Wallace Crapo was a brother of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity in his undergraduate years at Yale University. He graduated in 1852 and was a member of Skull and Bones.: 3  On April 15, 1851, Crapo visited Brown University, on which date he is credited with initiating 17 members of the provisional chapter there, re-activating the ten-years-dormant Brunonian Chapter. In 1903, Crapo (pronounced cray-poe) was a founding member and first president of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society, governing body of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.