Samuel L. Southard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Samuel Lewis Southard | |
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| In office September 16, 1823 – March 4, 1829 |
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| Preceded by | Smith Thompson |
| Succeeded by | John Branch |
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| In office October 26, 1832 – February 27, 1833 |
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| Preceded by | Elias P. Seeley |
| Succeeded by | John Branch |
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United States Senator from New Jersey (Class 1)
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| In office January 26, 1821 – March 3, 1823 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph McIlvaine |
| Succeeded by | Mahlon Dickerson |
| In office March 4, 1833 – June 26, 1842 |
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| Preceded by | Mahlon Dickerson |
| Succeeded by | William L. Dayton |
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| Born | June 9, 1787 Basking Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 26, 1842 (aged 55) Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican, National Republican, Whig |
| Spouse | Rebecca Harrow |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer, Teacher |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Samuel Lewis Southard (June 9, 1787 – June 26, 1842) was a prominent U.S. statesman of the early 19th century, serving as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, and the 10th Governor of New Jersey.
The son of Henry Southard and brother of Isaac Southard, he was born in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and graduated from Princeton University in 1804. After teaching school in New Jersey, he worked for several years as a tutor in Virginia and studied law there. Upon being admitted to the bar, he returned to New Jersey, where he was appointed law reporter by the New Jersey Legislature in 1814. Elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1815, Southard was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court shortly thereafter, and in 1820 served as a presidential elector. He was chosen to fill the seat in the United States Senate vacated by the resignation of James J. Wilson, and served in office from January 26, 1821, to March 3, 1823. During this time, he was a member of the committee that produced the Missouri Compromise.
President James Monroe selected Senator Southard to be Secretary of the Navy in September 1823, and he remained in office under President John Quincy Adams. During these years, he also served briefly as ad interim Secretary of the Treasury (1825) and Secretary of War (1828). Southard proved to be one of the most effective of the Navy's early Secretaries. He endeavored to enlarge the Navy and improve its administration, purchased land for the first Naval Hospitals, began construction of the first Navy dry docks, undertook surveys of U.S. coastal waters and promoted exploration in the Pacific Ocean. Responding to actions by influential officers, including David Porter, he reinforced the American tradition of civilian control over the military establishment. Also on Southard's watch, the Navy grew by some 50% in personnel and expenditures and expanded its reach into waters that had not previously seen an American man-of-war.
In 1829, after leaving his Navy post, Samuel Southard became New Jersey Attorney General. After briefly serving as Governor of New Jersey in 1832-33, he re-entered the U.S. Senate. During the next decade, he was a leader of the Whig Party and a figure of national political importance. As President pro tempore of the Senate, he became Acting Vice President from April 4, 1841 to May 31, 1842 after the death of William Henry Harrison and his Vice President John Tyler becoming President. Failing health forced his resignation from the Senate in 1842. Samuel Southard died in Fredericksburg, Virginia on June 26 of that year. He was interred in the Congressional Cemetery.
The destroyer USS Southard (DD-207), (later DMS-10), 1919–1946, was named in his honor.
[edit] External links
- Samuel L. Southard at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- New Jersey Governor Samuel Lewis Southard, National Governors Association
- Samuel Lewis Southard at The Political Graveyard
- Samuel Lewis Southard at Find A Grave
[edit] Sources
- This article includes public domain text from the Naval Historical Center.
- Dictionary of American Biography.
- Birkner, Michael. Samuel L. Southard: Jeffersonian Whig. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984.
- Ershkowitz, Herbert. Samuel L. Southard: A Case Study of Whig Leadership in the Age of Jackson. New Jersey History 88 (Spring 1970): 5-24.
| Preceded by James J. Wilson |
United States Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey January 26, 1821–March 3, 1823 Served alongside: Mahlon Dickerson |
Succeeded by Joseph McIlvaine |
| Preceded by Smith Thompson |
United States Secretary of the Navy 1823–1829 |
Succeeded by John Branch |
| Preceded by Theodore Frelinghuysen |
New Jersey Attorney General 1829–1833 |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by Peter Dumont Vroom |
Governor of New Jersey October 26, 1832–February 27, 1833 |
Succeeded by Elias P. Seeley |
| Preceded by Mahlon Dickerson |
United States Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey March 4, 1833–June 26, 1842 Served alongside: Theodore Frelinghuysen, Garret D. Wall, Jacob W. Miller |
Succeeded by William L. Dayton |
| Preceded by William R. King |
President pro tempore of the United States Senate March 11, 1841–May 31, 1842 |
Succeeded by Willie Person Mangum |
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