Nathan Goff Jr. (February 9, 1843 – April 23, 1920) was a

United States representative 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 ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, a Union Army officer, the 28th

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during the administration of 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 ...

, a United States circuit judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...

and of the United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit and a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from West Virginia.

Early life and education

Born on February 9, 1843, at his family's estate

Waldomore Waldomore, also known as The Waldomore, is a two-story Neoclassicism, Neo-Classical brick mansion located in the Clarksburg Downtown Historic District of Clarksburg, West Virginia, United States. The building was listed on the National Register ...

in Clarksburg, Harrison County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

(now

), to Waldo Goff, who had five times won election to represent Harrison County in the Virginia House of Delegates. Goff attended the Northwestern Academy in Clarksburg and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

Washington, D.C. 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. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He received a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1866 from

New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...

American Civil War

Although his family owned several slaves, they favored the Union. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Goff joined the Union Army in 1861; enlisting in the 3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment. He later became a major in the 4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

Postwar career

Goff became editor of the ''Clarksburg Telegraph'' beginning in 1866. Admitted to the bar, he began his private legal practice in Clarksburg from 1866 to 1867. He won election to the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature in West Virginia. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular se ...

from 1867 to 1868. Goff then became the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of West Virginia from 1868 to 1881, and from 1881 to 1882. He served as the 28th

in 1881. However, Goff failed to win election to Congress as a Republican candidate in 1870 and 1874. He was also the Republican candidate for

Governor of West Virginia A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

in 1876 and 1888, but voters instead elected the Democrat.

United States representative

Goff was elected as a Republican from West Virginia's 1st congressional district to 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 ...

of the 48th, 49th and

50th United States Congress The 50th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1887 ...

es, serving from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1889. He was not a candidate for renomination. Following his departure from Congress, Goff resumed private practice in Clarksburg from 1889 to 1892.

Federal judicial service

Goff was nominated by President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

on December 16, 1891, to the

and the United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit, to a new joint seat authorized by 26 Stat. 826. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on March 17, 1892, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. His service terminated on March 31, 1913, due to his resignation.

United States senator

In 1913, Goff was nominated for the

by state delegate Roy Earl Parrish. He was elected by the state legislature over Democrat

Clarence W. Watson Clarence Wayland Watson (May 8, 1864May 24, 1940) was a Coal mine, coal mining "baron" from West Virginia. Watson organized several coal companies that became the Consolidation Coal Company , Consolidation Coal and Mining Companies in West Virg ...

, receiving 60 votes to Watson's 43. Though his Senate term commenced March 4, 1913, he did not immediately take his seat, preferring to remain on the federal bench, and served from April 1, 1913, to March 3, 1919. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1918, the first time under the Seventeenth Amendment that the seat was filled by popular vote. He was Chairman of the Committee on Conservation of Natural Resources for the

65th United States Congress The 65th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1917, ...

and Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Expositions for the 65th United States Congress.

Death

Goff died on April 23, 1920, in Clarksburg. He was interred in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Clarksburg. He was the last surviving member of the Hayes Cabinet.

Family

Goff was the father of West Virginia

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

Guy D. Goff and grandfather of

United States Representative 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 ...

from

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Louise Goff Reece.

Home

Goff's home at Clarksburg, the Nathan Goff Jr. House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1976. It was delisted in 1994, after demolition in 1993.

Namesake

The

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

was named in his honor.

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

The West Virginia & Regional History Center at

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

houses the papers of Nathan Goff Jr. in three collections
A&M 213A&M 953
an
A&M 1940

Naval Historical Center. Accessed March 24, 2024. {{DEFAULTSORT:Goff, Nathan, Jr. 1843 births 1920 deaths Politicians from Clarksburg, West Virginia United States secretaries of the navy Hayes administration cabinet members Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia Republican Party United States senators from West Virginia Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit United States attorneys for the District of West Virginia United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers West Virginia lawyers People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Military personnel from Clarksburg, West Virginia Union army officers Lawyers from Clarksburg, West Virginia 20th-century West Virginia politicians 20th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the West Virginia Legislature