James Gilfillan (April 25, 1836 – April 8, 1929) was the 13th

Treasurer of the United States The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as the custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage pr ...

. Gilfillan was a native of

Belchertown, Massachusetts Belchertown (previously known as Cold Spring and Belcher's Town) is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield metropol ...

, born there to

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

parents. In 1856 he graduated from

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

, where he was a classmate of future President

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...

. After graduation, he worked as a country editor of a weekly newspaper,

reading law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship u ...

with the goal of entering the bar at the same time. He abandoned both professions, instead taking a clerkship at the Treasury Department in 1861, at an annual salary of $1,200. He remained a clerk until President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

made him cashier of the United States under Treasurer John C. New. Gilfillan, rising steadily through the ranks, was appointed Treasurer by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881. Hayes served as Cincinnati's city solicitor from 1858 to 1861. He was a staunch Abolitionism in the Un ...

, and he served from July 1, 1877 to March 31, 1883. During this period he was also Sinking Fund Commissioner for the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

; he was not paid for his service on the board until a bill of Senator

George P. McLean George Payne McLean (October 7, 1857 – June 6, 1932) was the 59th Governor of Connecticut, and a United States senator from Connecticut. Biography McLean was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, one of five children of Dudley B. McLean and Mary ( ...

of Connecticut passed Congress, awarding him $4,750. As Treasurer, Gilfillan acquired a reputation for integrity in his dealings, launching anti-corruption investigations, avoiding politics, and attending to his business."Mr. Gilfillan's Retirement.", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', March 7, 1883, p. 1. In his later years, Gilfillan lived in

Colchester, Connecticut Colchester is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 15,555 at the 20 ...

. In November 1928, he was one of only five persons over the age of 90 to vote in the town. He died at his home there, aged 92, and his funeral took place two days later.

References

Bibliography

* "James Gilfillan, Garfield Aide, Dies", ''

'', April 9, 1929, p. 28. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilfillan, James 1836 births 1929 deaths People from Belchertown, Massachusetts American people of Scottish descent Treasurers of the United States Williams College alumni