Jesse Thayer was an American

United States

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

 educator and legislator.

Born in Janesville, Wisconsin

Janesville, Wisconsin

Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...

, he served in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. Afterwards, he graduated from Milton College

Milton College

Milton College was a private college located in Milton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1844 as the Milton Academy, it closed in 1982. Its campus is now part of the Milton Historic District....

. He was a superintendent of public schools and was a mathematics professor at Rivers Falls Normal School now University of Wisconsin–River Falls. In 1885–1886, he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

. He also served as the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, is a constitutional office within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government, and acts as the executive head of the Department of Public Instruction...

1887–1891.