George Wolf

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For those of a similar name, see George Woolf, George Wolfe, and George Wolff.

George Wolf
Portrait of Wolf now housed at the Library of Congress
7th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
December 15, 1829 – December 15, 1835
Preceded byJohn Andrew Shulze
Succeeded byJoseph Ritner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 8th district
In office
1824–1829
Preceded byThomas J. Rogers,
Samuel D. Ingham
Succeeded byPeter Ihrie, Jr.,
Samuel A. Smith
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
1814
Personal details
Born(1777-08-12)August 12, 1777
Allen Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMarch 11, 1840(1840-03-11) (aged 62)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting placeHarrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Erb (1798–1833; her death)
Signature

George Wolf (August 12, 1777 – March 11, 1840) was the seventh governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835.[1] On June 29, 1888, he was recognized as the "father of the public-school system" in Pennsylvania by the erection of a memorial gateway at Easton.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Wolf was born in East Allen Township, Pennsylvania, in present-day Northampton County, Pennsylvania, to George and Mary Wolf, who immigrated to the United States from Alsace, then a province of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1751.[3] Wolf was educated at a classical school, taught for some time, and then studied law.[2] He was admitted to the bar in 1799 and commenced practice in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Career[edit]

Pennsylvania state politics[edit]

Wolf became a member of the Democratic Republican Party at the beginning of Thomas Jefferson's administration,[2] and was appointed postmaster of Easton, where he served n 1802 and 1803. He was a clerk of the orphans' court of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, from 1803 to 1809, and a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1814.

U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

Wolf was elected without opposition to the United States House of Representatives 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. He took the protectionist side in debates on the tariff.[2] during his second term he chaired the Committee on Revolutionary Claims.[4]

Governor of Pennsylvania[edit]

As member of the Jacksonian Democratic Party, Wolf defeated Joseph Ritner in both 1829 and 1832 to become the Governor of Pennsylvania. A large crowd attended his inaugural ceremonies on December 15, 1829.[5] Wolf was in office during the 1834 Philadelphia race riot.

He lost the governor's seat to the Anti-Mason candidate Ritner in 1835, owing to the defection of a part of the Democrats, who voted for Henry A. Muhlenberg.[2]

As governor, Wolf persuaded the legislature to construct canals and impose new taxes for the liquidation of debts that had already been incurred on account of internal improvements. Wolf advocated the establishment of a general system of common schools, and by strenuous efforts accomplished this reform where former governors had failed.[2] In the wake of the hanging of Charles Getter in Easton, which was viewed by up to 20,000 people, Wolf signed a law on April 10, 1834, banning public executions.[6]

Lafayette College[edit]

From 1827 to 1840, Wolf was a trustee of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.[7]

Final years[edit]

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. He held this office until his death.[2][8]

Personal life[edit]

Wolf married Mary Erb (1781–1833) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1798.[3] The couple had eight sons and one daughter.[3]

Legacy[edit]

Buildings, schools, and streets named for Wolf include:

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Governors of Pennsylvania." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: The Mount Union Times, January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1889). "Wolf, George" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
  3. ^ a b c Richards, Miles (January 14, 2015). "Exploring History: Pennsylvania's 1st Governor Wolf". Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  4. ^ Miller, Kyle (March 26, 2022). "Portrait of Governor George Wolf". Research & Design. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Sheridan, Leo W. "Great Crowds Attended Ceremonies of Inaugurals As Capitol Was Filled." Lock Haven, Pennsylvania: The Express, November 30, 1934, p. 4 (subscription required).
  6. ^ "See a bird's-eye view of Getter's Island, now for sale in Easton". The Express-Times. July 19, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Skillman, David Bishop (1932). The Biography of a College: Being the History of the First Century of the Life of Lafayette College. Easton, Pennsylvania: Lafayette College. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  8. ^ "George Wolf Esq". Raleigh Register. March 13, 1840. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1829, 1832 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
1824–1829
alongside: Samuel D. Ingham 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Pennsylvania
1829–1835 		Succeeded by
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