Lieutenant James Myers Preceded by John Chaney Education University of Delaware Preceded by Reuben Wood Resting place Elmwood Cemetery Party Democratic Party | Governor Reuben Wood Name William Medill Succeeded by Salmon P. Chase Preceded by Position established Role Politician | |
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Died September 2, 1865, Lancaster, Ohio, United States | ||
William Medill (February 1802 – September 2, 1865) was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 22nd Governor of Ohio from 1853 to 1856.
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Biography
Born in New Castle County, Delaware, Medill attended the University of Delaware and graduated in 1825. After graduation, he read law and was admitted to the bar in Delaware in 1830. Medill moved to Ohio in 1830 and was admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1832.
Career
Medill was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 1835 to 1838, serving as Speaker of the House from 1836–1837. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1838, serving from 1839 to 1843. He lost a bid for a third term in 1842. After briefly serving as the second assistant postmaster general, Medill was appointed by President Polk as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. He returned to Ohio in 1850 to serve as the President of the 1850–1851 Constitutional Convention. Elected to the new post of Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 1851, Medill entered office in 1852, serving until the resignation of Governor Reuben Wood on July 13, 1853 to take up a Consular office in Chile. Medill was re-elected in his own right in 1853, but was defeated in a bid for a second full term in 1855 by the anti-slavery Salmon P. Chase. He was First Comptroller of the United States Treasury from 1857 to 1861.
Death
Medill died in Lancaster in 1865, and was interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio. Medill never married. A nephew inherited his property.