John Zacheus Goodrich (September 27, 1804 – April 19, 1885) was an American politician who served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
and the 24th
lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. He was born in
Sheffield, Massachusetts on September 27, 1804. He attended the common schools and
Lenox Academy. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and engaged in manufacturing; 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 ...
in 1848.
Goodrich served in the
Massachusetts State Senate, and was elected as a
Whig to the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses (March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855). He was a member of the
1861 Peace Conference held in Washington, D.C.. He was elected as a
Republican Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1860 and served from January 1, 1861, until his resignation on March 29, 1861. He also served as the president of the Union Emigration Society, a group dedicated to organizing the North for political action.
Goodrich was appointed collector of customs at
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
on March 13 and served until March 11, 1865. He retired from public life and died in
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridg ...
on April 19, 1885. His interment was in Stockbridge Cemetery. He posthumously received one protest vote for Vice President at the
1972 Democratic National Convention.
References
Lieutenant governors of Massachusetts
People from Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Politicians from Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Williams College alumni
1804 births
1885 deaths
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
Collectors of the Port of Boston
Massachusetts Republican Party chairs
19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court
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