William Henry Bissell
William Henry Bissell | |
---|---|
11th Governor of Illinois | |
In office January 12, 1857 – March 18, 1860 | |
Lieutenant | John Wood |
Preceded by | Joel Aldrich Matteson |
Succeeded by | John Wood |
Personal details | |
Born | Hartwick, New York | April 25, 1811
Died | March 18, 1860 Springfield, Illinois | (aged 48)
Political party | Democratic, Republican |
Spouse | Emily Susan Jones |
Profession | Physician, lawyer, politician |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Rank | Colonel |
Battles/wars | Buena Vista |
William Henry Bissell (April 25, 1811– March 18, 1860) was the 11th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1857 until his death. He was one of the first successful Republican Party candidates, winning the election of 1856 just two years after the founding of his party.
Bissell was born in Hartwick, Otsego County, New York. He attended the public schools and was graduated from the Philadelphia Medical College in 1835. He moved to Monroe County, Illinois in 1837 where he taught school and practiced medicine until 1840.
From 1840 to 1842, Bissell was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois. He was prosecuting attorney of St. Clair County in 1844. He served in the Mexican War as colonel of the Second Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Bissell was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Congresses and as an Independent Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1849-March 3, 1855); he was chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs (Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1854.
Bissell was elected governor of Illinois in 1856 and served from January 12, 1857 until his death. He died at the Illinois Executive Mansion in Springfield and was interred in Oak Ridge Cemetery. He was the first Illinois Governor to die in office.
References
- United States Congress. "William Henry Bissell (id: B000492)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard
- 1811 births
- 1860 deaths
- American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
- Governors of Illinois
- Illinois Democrats
- Illinois Republicans
- Members of the Illinois House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois
- People from Otsego County, New York
- People from St. Clair County, Illinois
- Republican Party state governors of the United States
- Illinois politician stubs