William B. Washburn
Encyclopedia
William Barrett Washburn (January 31, 1820 October 5, 1887) was an American
politician
from Massachusetts
who served in the United States House of Representatives
and as the 28th Governor of Massachusetts
.
, Massachusetts
, he was the son of Asa and Phoebe (Whitney) Washburn
and brother of Nelson Phinehas Washburn.
He graduated from Yale College
in 1844, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
. He was employed as a store clerk from 1844 to 1847. He was engaged in manufacturing pursuits in Erving, Massachusetts
from 1847 to 1857.
in 1850 and was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from 1853 to 1855.
He moved to Greenfield in 1858 and engaged in banking. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-eighth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1863 to December 5, 1871. He served as chairman of the Committee on Claims during the Forty-first Congress.
In 1871 he was elected Governor of Massachusetts
and served in that post until 1874. He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Sumner
and served from April 17, 1874 to March 4, 1875. He was not a candidate for reelection.
, the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and Smith College
, of which he was also a benefactor, and a member of the board of overseers of Amherst College
from 1864 to 1877. Harvard University
conferred the degree of EL. D. upon him in 1872. He served on the board of directors of the Connecticut River Railroad
.
He was a member of the American board of the American Home Missionary Society, and the American Missionary Association Residuary legatees, leaving each society about $50,000 in his will. He was a benefactor of the Greenfield Public Library.
He died in Springfield, Hampden County, Mass., on October 5, 1887 while attending a session of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
(ABCFM), which he was also a member.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
who served in the United States House of Representatives
United 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...
and as the 28th Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
.
Early life
Born in 1820 in WinchendonWinchendon, Massachusetts
Winchendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 10,300 at the 2010 census. Home to Winchendon State Forest, the town includes the villages of Waterville and Winchendon Springs....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, he was the son of Asa and Phoebe (Whitney) Washburn
Phoebe Washburn
Phoebe Washburn is an American installation artist who lives and works in New York.Washburn is best known for producing large-scale installations: assemblages of garbage, detritus, cardboard, scrap wood, and, more recently, organic matter such as sod or plants.-Career:She holds a BFA from Tulane...
and brother of Nelson Phinehas Washburn.
He graduated from 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:...
in 1844, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
. He was employed as a store clerk from 1844 to 1847. He was engaged in manufacturing pursuits in Erving, Massachusetts
Erving, Massachusetts
Erving is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,467 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
from 1847 to 1857.
Political career
Washburn became a member of the Massachusetts SenateMassachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
in 1850 and was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
from 1853 to 1855.
He moved to Greenfield in 1858 and engaged in banking. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-eighth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1863 to December 5, 1871. He served as chairman of the Committee on Claims during the Forty-first Congress.
In 1871 he was elected Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
and served in that post until 1874. He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
and served from April 17, 1874 to March 4, 1875. He was not a candidate for reelection.
Other activities
He was president of the Greenfield National Bank; he was a trustee of Yale CollegeYale 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:...
, the Massachusetts Agricultural College, and Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, of which he was also a benefactor, and a member of the board of overseers of Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
from 1864 to 1877. Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
conferred the degree of EL. D. upon him in 1872. He served on the board of directors of the Connecticut River Railroad
Connecticut River Railroad
The Connecticut River Railroad was formed in 1845 by the merger of the Northampton and Springfield Railroad with the unbuilt Greenfield and Northampton Railroad....
.
He was a member of the American board of the American Home Missionary Society, and the American Missionary Association Residuary legatees, leaving each society about $50,000 in his will. He was a benefactor of the Greenfield Public Library.
He died in Springfield, Hampden County, Mass., on October 5, 1887 while attending a session of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was the first American Christian foreign mission agency. It was proposed in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College and officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World...
(ABCFM), which he was also a member.