Pennsylvania Governor, U.S. Congressman. Educated at Allen Township Classical Academy and he later became the Academy's principal. He studied law, was admitted to bar and practiced law in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in 1798. He was chief clerk and Postmaster of Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1801, served as clerk of the Northampton County Orphans Court, (1804-09) and a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1814. In 1824, he was elected as a Jacksonian Republican to the Eighteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas J. Rogers, reelected to the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first Congresses, serving until his resignation in 1829. In 1829, he was elected as a Democrat the 7th Governor of Pennsylvania, serving until 1835. As Governor, he undertook a revision of Pennsylvania's statute law, urged the establishment of a public school system, supported new taxation to repay funds borrowed to finance the state's public canal and railway system and brought the canal/railway project close to completion. After leaving office he was appointed by President Jackson to the new post of Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury in 1836, in 1838, President Martin Van Buren appointed him Collector of Customs for Philadelphia and he held office until his death.

Pennsylvania Governor, U.S. Congressman. Educated at Allen Township Classical Academy and he later became the Academy's principal. He studied law, was admitted to bar and practiced law in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in 1798. He was chief clerk and Postmaster of Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1801, served as clerk of the Northampton County Orphans Court, (1804-09) and a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1814. In 1824, he was elected as a Jacksonian Republican to the Eighteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas J. Rogers, reelected to the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first Congresses, serving until his resignation in 1829. In 1829, he was elected as a Democrat the 7th Governor of Pennsylvania, serving until 1835. As Governor, he undertook a revision of Pennsylvania's statute law, urged the establishment of a public school system, supported new taxation to repay funds borrowed to finance the state's public canal and railway system and brought the canal/railway project close to completion. After leaving office he was appointed by President Jackson to the new post of Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury in 1836, in 1838, President Martin Van Buren appointed him Collector of Customs for Philadelphia and he held office until his death.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith