Preceded by George F. Fort Political party Democratic Resigned January 20, 1857 Nationality American Party Democratic Party | Preceded by James G. King Education Princeton University Succeeded by William A. Newell Name Rodman Price | |
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Succeeded by Alexander C.M. Pennington Role Former Governor of New Jersey Died June 7, 1894, Oakland, New Jersey, United States Previous office Governor of New Jersey (1854–1857) | ||
Rodman McCamley Price (May 5, 1816 – June 7, 1894) was an American Democratic Party politician, who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1851–1853, and served as the 17th Governor of New Jersey, from 1854 to 1857.
Biography
Price was born in Newton, in Sussex County on May 5, 1816. He attended the public schools of New York City and the Lawrenceville Academy (a predecessor to today's Lawrenceville School). Price pursued classical studies at Princeton College, but did not graduate. He studied law and was admitted to the bar.
Price was appointed purser in the United States Navy in 1840 and was stationed in San Francisco; during the Mexican-American War, he served as an officer of the Navy; prefect and alcalde of Monterey in 1846 and the first American to exercise judicial functions in California; naval agent 1848–1850. In 1849 he was a delegate to the first constitutional convention of California and unsuccessful in the election for the state's first representatives in Congress. On returning to New Jersey he was elected as a Democrat to the 32nd United States Congress from New Jersey's 5th congressional district and served from March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1852 to the Thirty-third Congress. He was elected Governor of New Jersey the following year, serving from 1854–1857, where he became the father of the public school system of New Jersey. He established a ferry from Weehawken to New York and engaged in the quarrying business and in the reclamation of lands along the Hackensack River. Price was a delegate to the Peace conference of 1861 held in Washington, D.C. in an effort to devise means to prevent the impending Civil War.
Price died in Oakland, New Jersey on June 7, 1894. He was buried in the Reformed Cemetery, in Mahwah, New Jersey.