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
,
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