George Wolf | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Wolf now housed at theLibrary of Congress | |
| 7thGovernor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office December 15, 1829 – December 15, 1835 | |
| Preceded by | John Andrew Shulze |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Ritner |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's8th district | |
| In office December 9, 1824 – 1829 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas J. Rogers, Samuel D. Ingham |
| Succeeded by | Peter Ihrie, Jr., Samuel A. Smith |
| Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1814 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1777-08-12)August 12, 1777 |
| Died | March 11, 1840(1840-03-11) (aged 62) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Harrisburg Cemetery,Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Erb (1798–1833; her death) |
| Signature | .png) |
George Wolf (August 12, 1777 – March 11, 1840) was the seventhgovernor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835.[1] On June 29, 1888, he was recognized as the "father of the public-school system" in Pennsylvania by the erection of a memorial gateway atEaston.[2]
Wolf was born inAllen Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in present-dayNorthampton County, Pennsylvania, to George and Mary Wolf, who immigrated to the United States fromAlsace, then part of France, in 1751.[3] Wolf was educated at aclassical school, taught for some time, and then studied law.[2] He was admitted to the bar in 1799 and commenced practice inEaston, Pennsylvania.
Wolf became a member of theDemocratic Republican Party at the beginning ofThomas Jefferson's administration,[2] and was appointedpostmaster of Easton, where he served n 1802 and 1803. He was a clerk of the orphans' court ofNorthampton County, Pennsylvania, from 1803 to 1809, and a member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives in 1814.
Wolf was elected without opposition to theUnited States House of Representatives in1824 to theEighteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofThomas J. Rogers. He was reelected to theNineteenth,Twentieth, andTwenty-first Congresses. He took theprotectionist side in debates on thetariff.[2] during his second term he chaired the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.[4]
As member of theJacksonianDemocratic Party, Wolf defeatedJoseph Ritner in both1829 and1832 to become theGovernor of Pennsylvania. A large crowd attended his inaugural ceremonies on December 15, 1829.[5] Wolf was in office during the1834 Philadelphia race riot.
He lost the governor's seat to theAnti-Mason candidate Ritner in1835, owing to the defection of a part of the Democrats, who voted forHenry A. Muhlenberg.[2]
As governor, Wolf persuaded the legislature to construct canals and impose new taxes for the liquidation of debts that had already been incurred on account of internal improvements. Wolf advocated the establishment of a general system of common schools, and by strenuous efforts accomplished this reform where former governors had failed.[2] In the wake of the hanging ofCharles Getter inEaston, which was viewed by up to 20,000 people, Wolf signed a law on April 10, 1834, banning public executions.[6]
From 1827 to 1840, Wolf was a trustee ofLafayette College inEaston, Pennsylvania.[7]
In 1836,Andrew Jackson appointed him asFirst Comptroller of the Treasury. Two years later, PresidentMartin Van Buren appointed him as Collector of Customs for the District ofPhiladelphia in a job swap withJames Nelson Barker. He held this office until his death.[2][8]
Wolf married Mary Erb (1781–1833) ofLancaster, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1798.[3] The couple had eight sons and one daughter.[3]
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Buildings, schools, and streets named for Wolf include:
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Pennsylvania 1829,1832 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 8th congressional district 1824–1829 alongside:Samuel D. Ingham | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Pennsylvania 1829–1835 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
