George Leavens Lilley (August 3, 1859 – April 21, 1909) was an American politician serving as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and the 63rd governor of Connecticut.

Biography

Born in

Oxford, Massachusetts Oxford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,347 as of the 2020 United States Census. History Oxford was first settled in 1687 and was officially incorporated in 1713. It was the birthplace of Clara ...

Lilley was the son of John Leavens Lilley and Caroline W. (Adams) Lilley. He attended the common schools of Oxford, the Worcester High School, and Worcester Technical Institute. He moved to

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

in 1881 and engaged in mercantile pursuits and the real estate business. He married Anna E. H. Steele on June 17, 1884. The couple had three sons, Frederick, John, and Theodore.

Career

A member of Connecticut Republican State Committee from 1901 to 1909, Lilley also served in the

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

from 1901 to 1903. Lilley was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, and Sixtieth Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1903 to January 5, 1909. He did not seek renomination in 1908, having become a candidate for Governor. By resolution of the House of January 20, 1909, the seat was declared to have been vacated on January 6, 1909 for the reason that incumbent had entered upon the duties of the office of Governor of Connecticut the preceding day, however this only occurred because Lilley submitted his letter of resignation to the Governor of Connecticut instead of the Speaker of the House. Lilley won the 1908 Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected Governor of Connecticut. During his short tenure, he increased funding for the public school system and appropriations were budgeted for a statewide movement against tuberculosis. He also endorsed governing monopolies and establishing a public service commission, but both issues were defeated by the legislature.

Death

Lilley was

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

from January 6, 1909 until his death on April 21, 1909 in

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

; he was interred at Riverside Cemetery, Waterbury, Connecticut. He was a member of the Union League.

References

External links

*
The Political GraveyardGovtrack US Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilley, George L. 1859 births 1909 deaths Burials at Riverside Cemetery (Waterbury, Connecticut) Republican Party governors of Connecticut Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut Politicians from Waterbury, Connecticut People from Oxford, Massachusetts American Congregationalists Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut 19th-century American politicians