Robert McKnight (January 20, 1820 – October 25, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Pennsylvania's 22nd congressional district in 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 ...

from 1859 to 1863.

Early life and education

Robert McKnight was born in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

. He attended the common schools and a private school at

Xenia, Ohio Xenia ( ) is a city in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southwestern Ohio, it is east of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton and is part of the Greater Dayton, Dayton metropolitan area as well as the Miami Valley region. As o ...

. He graduated from Princeton College in 1839.

Career

McKnight studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1842, and joined a law partnership with Henry S. Magraw in Pittsburgh. In 1846, he was hired to be a solicitor for the Bank of Pittsburgh. MnKnight served as a member of the

Pittsburgh City Council The Pittsburgh City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Pittsburgh. It consists of nine members. City council members are chosen by plurality elections in each of nine districts. The city operates under a mayor-council sys ...

from 1847 to 1849, and was subsequently elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses. He served his district 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 ...

. After his final term in 1863, he resumed the practice of law.

Personal life

McKnight died in Pittsburgh in 1885. He was interred at the

Allegheny Cemetery Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery. The non-sectarian, wooded hillside park is located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, and b ...

. Early

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

owner

Denny McKnight Harmar Denny McKnight (April 29, 1848 – May 5, 1900) was an early baseball manager and executive. On October 15, he founded the Allegheny Base Ball Club of Pittsburgh in anticipation of playing in the new American Association. The club then ...

was his son.

Gallery

File:RobertMcKnight2.jpg, Robert McKnight, in later years

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McKnight, Robert 1820 births 1885 deaths Pittsburgh City Council members People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Pennsylvania lawyers Politicians from Xenia, Ohio Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Burials at Allegheny Cemetery 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives