Samuel L. Southard

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"Senator Southard" redirects here. For the Maine state senate member, see T. J. Southard.

Samuel Lewis Southard
Peter Dumont Vroom
Succeeded byElias P. Seeley
7th United States Secretary of the Navy
In office
September 16, 1823 – March 4, 1829
PresidentJames Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Preceded bySmith Thompson
Succeeded byJohn Branch
Personal details
Born
Samuel Lewis Southard

(1787-06-09)June 9, 1787
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 1842(1842-06-26) (aged 55)
Fredericksburg, Virginia, U.S.
Resting placeCongressional Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic-Republican (Before 1825)
National Republican (1825–1834)
Whig (1834–1842)
SpouseRebecca Harrow
EducationPrinceton University (BA)
Signature

Samuel Lewis Southard (June 9, 1787 – June 26, 1842) was a prominent American statesman of the early 19th century, serving as a

Secretary of the Navy, and the tenth governor of New Jersey. He also served as President pro tempore of the Senate, and was briefly first in the presidential line of succession
.

History

The son of Henry Southard and Sarah (Lewis) Southard, Henry was born in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, on June 9, 1787.[1] Southard's ancestors included Anthony Janszoon van Salee, one of the earliest settlers of New Amsterdam, and his siblings included Isaac Southard.[2][3] Southard attended the Brick Academy[4] classical school and graduated from Princeton University in 1804.[1]

Early career

After teaching in New Jersey, he worked for several years as a tutor in the

New Jersey Supreme Court to succeed Mahlon Dickerson shortly thereafter, and in 1820 served as a presidential elector. He was elected to a seat in the United States Senate over James J. Wilson, and was appointed to the remainder of Wilson's term After Wilson resigned.[5] Southard served in office from January 26, 1821, to March 3, 1823, when he resigned. During this time, he was a member of the committee that produced the Missouri Compromise
.

Navy career

President

civilian control over the military
establishment. Also on Southard's watch, the Navy grew by some 50% in personnel and expenditures and expanded its reach into waters that had not previously seen an American man-of-war.

Political life

In 1829 Southard became New Jersey Attorney General, succeeding Theodore Frelinghuysen.[1] In 1832, the state legislature elected him Governor over Peter D. Vroom by a vote of 40 to 24. In 1833, he was again elected to the U.S. Senate. During the next decade, he was a leader of the Whig Party and attained national prominence as chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs. As President pro tempore of the Senate, he was first in the presidential line of succession after the death of William Henry Harrison and the accession of Vice President John Tyler to the presidency.

Failing health forced Southard to resign from the Senate in 1842. He died in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 26, 1842.[6] Southard was buried in Washington's Congressional Cemetery.

Societies

During the 1820s, Southard was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.[7] In 1839, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.[8]

Legacy

The destroyer USS Southard (DD-207), (later DMS-10), 1919–1946, was named in his honor. There is also a public park in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, named after him. There is also a street named after him in Key West, FL as well as Southard Street in Trenton, New Jersey.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-8785-9244-6 – via Google Books
    .
  2. ^ De Halve Maen. Vol. 63–68. New York, NY: The Holland Society of New York. 1990. p. 4 – via Google Books.
  3. ISBN 978-1-4522-3532-5 – via Google Books
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-8135-3325-4 – via Google Books
    .
  5. ISBN 978-0-8386-3160-7
    .
  6. ^ "Death of Samuel L. Southard". Alexandria Gazette. June 28, 1842. p. 3. Retrieved July 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Rathbun, Richard (1904). The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816-1838. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  8. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  9. ^ https://www.trentonhistory.org/streets.html

Sources

External links

U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey
1821–1823
Served alongside: Mahlon Dickerson 		Succeeded by
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey
1833–1842
Served alongside: Theodore Frelinghuysen, Garret D. Wall, Jacob W. Miller 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee
1833–1836 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by United States Secretary of the Navy
1823–1829 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Peter Dumont Vroom
 Governor of New Jersey
1832–1833 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President pro tempore of the United States Senate
1841–1842 		Succeeded by
Willie Person Mangum
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of New Jersey
1829–1833 		Succeeded by
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