aris C. Dunning was born in Guilford County, North Carolina, in March, 1806, but emigrated to Indiana with his mother and elder brother, and located at Bloomington in 1823. He studied law and was admitted to practice about 1830. In 1833, he was elected to represent Monroe County in the state legislature, and was three times re-elected. In 1836, he was elected to the state senate from Monroe and Brown counties, and remained there until 1840, when he voluntarily retired. He was chosen as a Democratic presidential elector in 1844, and during the campaign exhibited extraordinary energy and ability as a public speaker. In 1846 he was elected lieutenant governor on the Democratic Ticket, and when Gov. Whitcomb was elected to the Untied States Senate, Mr. Dunning succeeded him as governor, After his retirement in 1850, he practiced his profession for many years, having meantime declined a nomination for congress. In 1860, he was a delegate to the Charleston and Baltimore national conventions, where he distinguished himself as an earnest advocate of Stephen A. Douglas, and subsequently worked assiduously for the statesman's election to the presidency. At the breaking out of the rebellion in 1861, Mr. Dunning identified himself with the Union cause, and throughout the war rendered valiant aid to the country. In 1861, he was elected to the state senate without distinction of party. Subsequently he was elected twice as president of the senate. Governor Dunning was twice married, first to Miss Sarah Alexander, and the second time to Mrs. Ellen D. Ashford. Ex-Governor Dunning takes high rank as one of the self-made men of Indiana, and he filled the many positions of honor and trust conferred upon him with great credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the citizens of Indiana.