Nathan Goff, Jr. (February 9, 1843 – April 24, 1920) was a member of the United States Congress from
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
, who also served briefly as
United States Secretary of the NavyThe United States Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President's Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was placed under the...
during the
Rutherford B. HayesRutherford Birchard Hayes was an American politician, lawyer, military leader and the 19th President of the United States . Hayes was elected President by one electoral vote after the highly disputed election of 1876...
administration.
Goff was born at The Waldomore in
ClarksburgClarksburg is a city in the North-Central region of West Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Harrison County, and the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the city was 16,743 at the 2000 census....
,
Harrison CountyHarrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 68,652. The county seat is Clarksburg. Harrison County is part of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
,
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
(now
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
) on February 9, 1843. He attended the Northwestern Academy in Clarksburg and
Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a Jesuit private university located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634. While the school struggled financially in its early years, Georgetown expanded into a branched university after the...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, then received a law degree from the
City University of New YorkThe City University of New York , is the public university system of New York City. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
When the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
broke out in 1861, Goff enlisted in the
Union ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
as part of the Third Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry, later becoming a major in the [West] Virginia Volunteer Cavalry.
In 1865, he was admitted to the bar and established a legal practice, while also becoming a prominent in West Virginia politics as a Republican.
Nathan Goff, Jr. (February 9, 1843 – April 24, 1920) was a member of the United States Congress from
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
, who also served briefly as
United States Secretary of the NavyThe United States Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the Department of the Navy. The position was a member of the President's Cabinet until 1947, when the Navy, Army, and newly created Air Force were placed in the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the Navy was placed under the...
during the
Rutherford B. HayesRutherford Birchard Hayes was an American politician, lawyer, military leader and the 19th President of the United States . Hayes was elected President by one electoral vote after the highly disputed election of 1876...
administration.
Biography
Goff was born at The Waldomore in
ClarksburgClarksburg is a city in the North-Central region of West Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Harrison County, and the principal city of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the city was 16,743 at the 2000 census....
,
Harrison CountyHarrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 68,652. The county seat is Clarksburg. Harrison County is part of the Clarksburg, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
,
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
(now
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
) on February 9, 1843. He attended the Northwestern Academy in Clarksburg and
Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a Jesuit private university located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634. While the school struggled financially in its early years, Georgetown expanded into a branched university after the...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, then received a law degree from the
City University of New YorkThe City University of New York , is the public university system of New York City. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
When the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
broke out in 1861, Goff enlisted in the
Union ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
as part of the Third Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry, later becoming a major in the [West] Virginia Volunteer Cavalry.
In 1865, he was admitted to the bar and established a legal practice, while also becoming a prominent in West Virginia politics as a Republican. He served in the state House of Delegates from 1867-1868. In 1868 he became
United States AttorneyUnited States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for West Virginia, a position he held until 1881 when he was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Hayes, to succeed
Richard W. ThompsonRichard Wigginton Thompson was an American politician.Thompson was born in Culpeper County, Virginia. He left Virginia in 1831 and lived briefly in Louisville, Kentucky before finally settling in Lawrence County, Indiana. There, he taught school, kept a store, and studied law at night...
of Indiana. Goff held the position just under two months, from January 7, 1881 until Hayes' term ended on March 4.
After leaving the Navy Department, Goff was reappointed U.S. Attorney for West Virginia. He held this post until 1882, when he was elected as a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
to Congress. Two previous attempts had failed, in 1870 and 1874. He had also made an unsuccessful bid for Governor of West Virginia, in 1876.
He served in the House of Representatives from March 4, 1883 through March 3, 1889, as a member of the 48th-50th Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1888, having made another unsuccessful campaign for Governor.
From 1892 to 1913 Goff served as a judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland...
, then was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1912. He did not immediately take his seat when the Senate convened on March 4, 1913, preferring to remain on the bench. He served from April 1 to March 3, 1919, choosing not to run for reelection in 1918.
He died in Clarksburg, West Virginia on April 23, 1920 and was interred in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. He was the last surviving member of the Hayes Cabinet.
Goff established something of a political dynasty, with several family members also serving in Congress. His son Guy Despard Goff (1866-1933) served in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from 1925-1931. His granddaughter
Louise Goff ReeceLouise Goff Reece was a United States Representative from Tennessee.- Early life:Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she was a daughter of Guy D. Goff and granddaughter of Nathan Goff, both of whom were U.S. Senators from West Virginia. She was educated at Miss Treat's School, Milwaukee-Downer Seminary,...
, daughter of Guy D. Goff, served in the House of Representatives as a Republican from 1961-1963.
Namesake
The
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
destroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers .Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels without the endurance...
USS Goff (DD-247)USS Goff was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Secretary of the Navy Nathan Goff, Jr....
was named in his honor.
See also
External links
Retrieved on 2008-02-14