Alexander H. Holley
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Alexander Hamilton Holley (August 12, 1804 – October 2, 1887) was an American politician and the 40th governor of Connecticut.


Life and politics

Holley was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, on August 12, 1804. He was a Congregationalist and studied at the public schools in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, and New York. He was married to Jane M. Lyman (1808–1832), Marcia Coffing and Sarah C. Day. He had six children.


Career

Holley served in the state militia, rising through the ranks to
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. He entered politics in 1844, serving as a delegate to the Whig
National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...
. Holley became president of the Holley Manufacturing Company in 1854 and held that position for life. He also became director of the Salisbury Iron Bank and
Connecticut Western Railroad The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York. It was part of the Poughkeeps ...
. Holley was nominated by the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...
and elected the 45th lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1854, and elected the
governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...
in 1857. During his term, his administration endorsed the requirement for recently naturalized citizens to wait one year before being eligible to vote, and the Supreme Court ruled on the Dred Scott case. He left office on May 5, 1858. He was a delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1860, and retired from public service.


Death

Holley died on October 2, 1887, in Lakeville. He is buried at Salisbury Cemetery, Salisbury, Connecticut.


References


Further reading

* Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. ''Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978''. Greenwood Press, 1988.


External links


National Governors Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holley, Alexander H. 1804 births 1887 deaths Republican Party governors of Connecticut People from Salisbury, Connecticut Military personnel from Connecticut 19th-century American politicians