George Wolf
Encyclopedia
George Wolf was the seventh Governor of Pennsylvania
from 1829 to 1835.
Wolf was born in Allen Township, Pennsylvania
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1799 and commenced practice in Easton, Pennsylvania
. He served as postmaster
of Easton in 1802 and 1803. He was clerk of the orphans’ court of Northampton County, Pennsylvania
, from 1803 to 1809. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
in 1814.
in 1824
to the Eighteenth
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas J. Rogers. He was reelected to the Nineteenth
, Twentieth
, and Twenty-first
Congresses.
Democratic Party
, Wolf defeated Joseph Ritner
in both 1829 and 1832 to become the Governor of Pennsylvania. He lost the governor's seat to the Anti-Mason
candidate Ritner in 1835. In 1836 Andrew Jackson
appointed him as First Comptroller of the Treasury
. Two years later President Martin Van Buren
appointed him as Collector of Customs for the District of Philadelphia in a job swap with James Nelson Barker
.
Wolf Hall on the campus of Penn State University is named for George Wolf. Wolf Township in Lycoming County
is also named for him.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
from 1829 to 1835.
Wolf was born in Allen Township, Pennsylvania
Allen Township, Pennsylvania
Allen Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Allen Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Allen Township was 2,630 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1799 and commenced practice in Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
. He served as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Easton in 1802 and 1803. He was clerk of the orphans’ court of Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
, from 1803 to 1809. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
in 1814.
United States House of Representatives
Wolf was elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1824
United States House election, 1824
The elections for the United States House of Representatives in 1824 coincided with the contentious presidential election of that year. There were 213 seats in the House up for election, and those elected served in the 19th United States Congress that convened on December 5, 1825...
to the Eighteenth
18th United States Congress
The Eighteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825, during the seventh and eighth...
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas J. Rogers. He was reelected to the Nineteenth
19th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: John Gaillard , until December 4, 1825** Nathaniel Macon , from May 20, 1826- House of Representatives :* Speaker: John W. Taylor -Members:...
, Twentieth
20th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
, and Twenty-first
21st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: Samuel Smith - House of Representatives :* Speaker: Andrew Stevenson -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congresses.
Governor of Pennsylvania
As member of the JacksonianJacksonian democracy
Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era. The Democratic-Republican Party of...
Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Wolf defeated Joseph Ritner
Joseph Ritner
Joseph Ritner was the eighth Governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, elected as a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. He was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election, 1835, and served from 1835 to 1839. Controversy surrounding his 1838 electoral defeat led...
in both 1829 and 1832 to become the Governor of Pennsylvania. He lost the governor's seat to the Anti-Mason
Anti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the first "third party" in the United States. It strongly opposed Freemasonry and was founded as a single-issue party aspiring to become a major party....
candidate Ritner in 1835. In 1836 Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
appointed him as First Comptroller of the Treasury
Comptroller of the Treasury
The Comptroller of the Treasury was an official of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1789 to 1817. According to section III of the Act of Congress establishing the Treasury Department, it is the comptroller's duty to...
. Two years later President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
appointed him as Collector of Customs for the District of Philadelphia in a job swap with James Nelson Barker
James Nelson Barker
James Nelson Barker was an American soldier, playwright, and politician. He rose to major in the army during the War of 1812, wrote ten plays, and served as mayor of Philadelphia.-Life:...
.
Wolf Hall on the campus of Penn State University is named for George Wolf. Wolf Township in Lycoming County
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
is also named for him.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Biography http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/wolf.asp?secid=31
- The Political Graveyard