Simon Barclay Conover (September 23, 1840April 19, 1908) was an American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and politician who served as a delegate to Florida's 1868 Constitutional Convention, state treasurer, state legislator, and U.S. Senator from Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives including as Speaker. He was 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 again ...

Biography

Born in

Middlesex County, New Jersey Middlesex County is located in central New Jersey, United States, extending inland from the Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was enumerated at 863, ...

, Conover attended an academy in

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city, capital city (New Jersey), city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.

. He studied medicine at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

, and graduated from the medical department of the

University of Nashville University of Nashville was a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1806 as Cumberland College. It existed as a distinct entity until 1909; operating at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a ...

in 1864. During the

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

he served in the medical department of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

. He was appointed acting assistant surgeon in 1866, and was assigned to

Lake City, Florida Lake City is a city in northern Florida. It is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 12,329. It is the principal city of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

. He resigned from the medical department of the army upon readmission of the State of Florida into the Union. Conover was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1868. He was appointed State

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...

in 1868, serving one term. He was also a member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in f ...

from 1868 to 1872. He was a member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopte ...

in 1873 and served as speaker. Conover was elected to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

and served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1879. There he served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills. After his time in Congress, Conover resumed the practice of medicine. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor in 1880, a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1885, and was appointed United States surgeon at

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...

, in 1889. He became president of the board of regents of the Agricultural College and School of Science of the State of Washington in 1891. He practiced medicine in Port Townsend until his death, and was interred there in the Masonic Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2009-04-29

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conover, Simon Barclay 1840 births 1908 deaths Union Army surgeons Republican Party United States senators from Florida State Treasurers of Florida Speakers of the Florida House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians