Clark Bissell was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician and the 19th Governor of Connecticut.

Early life

Bissell was born in Lebanon, Connecticut

Lebanon, Connecticut

Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, north of New London, and east of Hartford...

 on September 7, 1782. He studied at Yale College

Yale College

Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...

 and graduated in 1806. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1809.

Politics

Bissell became a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1829. He was re-elected to in 1841. He then served in the Connecticut State Senate from 1842 to 1843. He also served as an associate judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors from 1829 to 1839.

Governor of Connecticut

Bissell ran unsuccessfully for the Connecticut governorship in 1846. However, he was elected in 1847 as Governor of Connecticut and was re-elected in 1848. During his term, he advocated for reform in education, taxes, and liquor prohibition, however, only insignificant legislation was passed. He vetoed a resolution on divorce, and it was looked upon as sabotaging the legislature's power. Because of this, he was not renominated for the 1849 election.

Later years

After completing his term as the Governor, he continued as a Professor of Law at Yale University

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

, a position he was appointed to during his governorship. He also served in the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1850. He died on September 15, 1857.

Sources

• Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2