William Bigler

William Bigler
United States Senator from Pennsylvania
In office January 14, 1856 – March 4, 1861 Serving with Richard Brodhead and Simon Cameron
Preceded by	James Cooper
Succeeded by	Edgar Cowan
12th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office January 20, 1852 – January 16, 1855
Preceded by	William F. Johnston
Succeeded by	James Pollock
Personal details
Born	(1814-01-01)January 1, 1814 Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Died	August 9, 1880(1880-08-09) (aged 66) Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Profession	Politician, Printer, Lumberman, Railroad President

William Bigler (January 1, 1814 – August 9, 1880) was the 12th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855, and later a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party.

Bigler was born in rural Pennsylvania and received little formal education; he studied informally under his elder brother John Bigler (later governor of California), publisher of the Centre County Democrat newspaper. Bigler founded his own political newspaper, the Clearfield Democrat, in 1833, and later became wealthy in the lumber business. In the 1840s he served in the Pennsylvania senate, and he defeated incumbent governor William F. Johnston for the governor's seat in 1851. Although Bigler opposed slavery in principle, he supported the federal government's Fugitive Slave Act and the pro-slavery Kansas-Nebraska Act. He was defeated for a second term by James Pollock, the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party. Following his term as governor, he served in the United States Senate from 1856 to 1861.

Bigler Hall on the University Park campus of Penn State is named after William Bigler, as is Bigler Street in Philadelphia.

External links

• William Bigler at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• William Bigler at Find A Grave

Political offices
Preceded by William F. Johnston	Governor of Pennsylvania 1852–1855	Succeeded by James Pollock
United States Senate
Preceded by James Cooper	United States Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania January 14, 1856 – March 4, 1861 Served alongside: Richard Brodhead and Simon Cameron	Succeeded by Edgar Cowan