Robert McClelland (American politician)
| Robert McClelland | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 4th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
|
In office March 8, 1853 – March 9, 1857 |
|
| President |
Franklin Pierce James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | Alexander H.H. Stuart |
| Succeeded by | Jacob Thompson |
| 9th Governor of Michigan | |
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In office January 1, 1852 – March 7, 1853 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Calvin Britain Andrew Parsons |
| Preceded by | John S. Barry |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Parsons |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st district |
|
|
In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849 |
|
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Alexander W. Buel |
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives | |
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In office 1838 1840 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 1, 1807 Greencastle, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | August 30, 1880 (aged 73) Detroit, Michigan, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Elizabeth Sabine McClelland |
| Alma mater | Dickinson College |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer, Teacher |
Robert McClelland (August 1, 1807 – August 30, 1880) was a US statesman, serving as U.S. Representative from Michigan, the ninth Governor of Michigan, and United States Secretary of the Interior.
He was born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, the son of a prominent Franklin County doctor. He entered Dickinson College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and graduated among the top of his class in 1829. He studied law and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1831 and practiced law in Pittsburgh for a short time before moving in 1833 to Monroe in what was then the Territory of Michigan.
McClelland became a member of the Michigan bar and established a successful law practice in Monroe, and he was a member of the constitutional convention in 1835. After Michigan became a state, Governor Stevens T. Mason offered the positions of state Bank Commissioner and state Attorney General, both of which he declined in order to develop his private practice, although he maintained an active role in the new state's Democratic Party. In 1836, McClelland married Sarah Elizabeth Sabine, with whom he had six children.
McClelland served on the board of regents of the University of Michigan in 1837 and again in 1850. He represented Monroe County in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1838, 1840 and was speaker of the house in 1843. He served as the mayor of Monroe in 1841. He was elected in 1842 as U.S. Representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district, serving from 1843 to 1849 in the 28th, 29th, and 30th Congresses. Going against the general opinion of the Democratic Party, he was a strong advocate of the Wilmot Proviso, which would have restricted the spread of slavery to new states. He was active in supporting his friend Lewis Cass's unsuccessful run for president in 1848 and did not seek reelection in that year.
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