Robert T. Conrad (1810–1858) was the first mayor of Philadelphia to take office following the Consolidation Act of 1854.[1]
Prior to being elected mayor, Conrad was recorder (part-time judge) for the suburban township of Northern Liberties, which became part of the city under the Consolidation Act. In the 1854 Philadelphia mayoral election, Conrad was the nominee of both the Whigs and Know Nothings (later known as the American Party). He won in a landslide, riding a wave of nativist sentiment that swept the United States in the mid-1850s.[2]
Conrad was active as a writer and editor, and worked on such local periodicals as the Philadelphia Gazette (of which he also became part owner). He was also a talented poet and dramatist: according to his obituary in the New York Times, his play Jack Cade was "one of the few American tragedies to hold the stage."[2]
Notably, Conrad lived in West Philadelphia (at the corner of Lancaster Road and Market Street) at a time when that part of the city was largely uninhabited.[3]
Notes
- ^ Simpson, Henry (1859). The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased: Collected from Original and Authentic Sources. Oxford University. p. 247. Google Book Search, accessed 29 March, 2009.
- ^ a b "Obituary. Death of two distinguished Philadelphians." New York Times, June 30, 1858. p. 2.
- ^ Rosenthal, Leon S. A History of Philadelphia's University City (1963)
External links
- Robert T. Conrad. First Mayor of the Consolidated City of Philadelphia (an 1854 engraving of Conrad by John Sartain)
- Oration delivered by the Hon. Robert T. Conrad, at the celebration of the anniversary of American independence by the Philadelphia Repeal Association, at the Arch Street Theatre, July 5, 1841.
- Robert T. Conrad at Find a Grave
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Gilpin |
Mayor of Philadelphia 1854–1856 |
Succeeded by Richard Vaux |
 |
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