William Thomas Minor | |
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| 39th Governor of Connecticut | |
| In office May 2, 1855 – May 6, 1857 | |
| Lieutenant | William Field Albert Day |
| Preceded by | Henry Dutton |
| Succeeded by | Alexander H. Holley |
| Member of theConnecticut Senate from Connecticut's12th Senate district | |
| In office 1854–1855 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas B. Butler |
| Succeeded by | Orris S. Ferry |
| Member of theConnecticut House of Representatives fromStamford | |
| In office 1841–1848 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Perry |
| Succeeded by | Heth Stephens,Samuel Lockwood, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1815-10-03)October 3, 1815 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | October 13, 1889(1889-10-13) (aged 74) Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Spouse | Mary Catherine Leeds Minor |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Profession | Politician, lawyer, judge |
| Signature |  |
William Thomas Minor (October 3, 1815 – October 13, 1889) was an American judge and politician fromConnecticut. He served as the39th Governor of Connecticut,Consul-General toHavana, Cuba and judge on theConnecticut Superior Court.
Minor was born inStamford,Fairfield County, Connecticut, on October 3, 1815, to Simeon Hinman Minor and Catherine Lockwood Minor.[1] He studied atYale University and graduated in 1834.[2] Minor taught school for five years while he studied law under his father, a former Connecticut legislator.
In 1840, Minor wasadmitted to the bar and began thepractice of law in Stamford.[3] Minor became a member of theConnecticut House of Representatives in 1841, and served in that position until 1848. He was a judge for theFairfield County, Connecticut Court. He married Mary Catherine Leeds on April 16, 1849, and they had five children.[4] He became a member of theConnecticut State Senate representing the12th District in 1854.
As candidate of theAmerican Party, Minor was electedGovernor of Connecticut in 1855[5] overSamuel Ingham by theConnecticut General Assembly by a 177 to 70 vote. He wasre-elected to a second term in 1856 by the Connecticut General Assembly, again over Ingham, by a vote of 135 to 116.[6] While Governor, Minor was a supporter of lengthening the period of residency before naturalization. He also supported the dismissal of six military companies that consisted mostly of Irishmen. This step further enraged immigrants. Legislation was passed that deprived suffrage to men unable to read the state constitution. He supported better schools in Connecticut and held the belief that the schools should be free for all the children in the state. He also supported the antislavery measures of the Republicans.[7] He was not a candidate for the governorship in the election of April 1857, and left office on May 6, 1857.
In 1864, Minor was a delegate from Connecticut to theRepublican National Convention, which assembled at Baltimore in June of that year. He voted with his delegation forAbraham Lincoln for president andAndrew Johnson for vice-president of the United States. In July 1864, Minor was appointed by Lincoln asConsul-General toHavana, Cuba.[1] Three years later he returned toConnecticut and spent one year as a member of theConnecticut House of Representatives. In 1868, he was appointed judge on theConnecticut Superior Court, and served in that position until 1873 when he resigned his judgeship and returned to his private law practice.[8][9] He also served on the 1879 commission that reconciled an extended boundary argument with New York.[10]
Minor died on October 13, 1889, in Stamford. He is interred at Woodland Cemetery in Stamford.
| Party political offices | ||
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| First | Know Nothing nominee forGovernor of Connecticut 1855,1856 | Succeeded by None |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Connecticut May 2, 1855–May 6, 1857 | Succeeded by |
| Connecticut State Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theConnecticut Senate from Connecticut's12th Senate district 1854–1855 | Succeeded by |
| Connecticut House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theConnecticut House of Representatives fromStamford 1841–1848 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
| Other | |
