William A. Stone

For other people named William Stone, see William Stone (disambiguation).
William Alexis Stone
22nd Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 17, 1899  January 20, 1903
Lieutenant John P.S. Gobin
Preceded by Daniel H. Hastings
Succeeded by Samuel W. Pennypacker
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 23rd district
In office
March 4, 1891  November 9, 1898
Preceded by Thomas McKee Bayne
Succeeded by William Harrison Graham
Personal details
Born April 18, 1846
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Died March 1, 1920(1920-03-01) (aged 73)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Ellen F. Stevens (1870–1878; her death)
Elizabeth B. White (1879–1919; her death)

William Alexis Stone (April 18, 1846  March 1, 1920) was the 22nd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1899 to 1903.

Early life

Stone was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. He was descended from Simon Stone, Jr (1631 - 1708), who was born in Bocking, Essex, England and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.[1] In 1864, Stone enlisted in the Union Army as a private during the American Civil War, and became a second lieutenant in 1865.[2] He continued his military service after the war in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He attended Mansfield State Normal School and taught while studying law.

Appointments

In 1872, he was appointed as a clerk for the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. Two years later, he ran for his first political office, becoming district attorney of Tioga County. In 1876, he was appointed district attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by President Rutherford B. Hayes. He held that post until 1886 when he violated President Chester A. Arthur's edict for political office-holders not to campaign for political candidates. Stone campaigned for James A. Beaver, and his removal only increased his popularity.

Congress and Pennsylvania Governorship

Stone served four terms in the United States House of Representatives before running for governor in 1898. During his term in office, Pennsylvania's state debt was eliminated, and a new capitol building was commissioned. After serving as governor, Stone joined his son in private law practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also served briefly as prothonotary for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1915.

In Memoriam

Stone Hall, a residence hall on Penn State's University Park campus is named for Stone.

References

  1. "Simon Stone, Jr". Geni. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  2. Dunaway, Wayland F. (1948). A History of Pennsylvania. New York, New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 469. ...William A. Stone...entered the Union Army as a private in his eighteenth year and in 1865 became second lieutenant.

External links

William A. Stone at Find a Grave

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Thomas Bayne
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 23rd congressional district

18911898
Succeeded by
William Graham
Political offices
Preceded by
Daniel Hastings
Governor of Pennsylvania
18991903
Succeeded by
Samuel Pennypacker
Party political offices
Preceded by
Daniel Hastings
Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1898
Succeeded by
Samuel Pennypacker
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