| William Bigler | |
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| In office January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861 |
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| Preceded by | James Cooper |
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| Succeeded by | Edgar Cowan |
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| Born | January 11, 1814 Dromgolds Corner (Near Shermansdale) Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 1880 (aged 66) Clearfield, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Politician, Printer, Lumberman, Railroad President |
William Bigler (January 11, 1814 – August 9, 1880) was governor of Pennsylvania from 1852 to 1855, and later a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party.
Bigler was born in rural Pennsylvania and received little formal education; he studied informally under his elder brother John Bigler (later governor of California), publisher of the Centre County Democrat newspaper. Bigler founded his own political newspaper, the Clearfield Democrat, in 1833, and later became wealthy in the lumber business. In the 1840s he served in the Pennsylvania senate, and he defeated incumbent governor William F. Johnston for the governor's seat in 1851. Although Bigler opposed slavery in principle, he supported the federal government's Fugitive Slave Act and the pro-slavery Kansas-Nebraska Act. He was defeated for a second term by James Pollock, the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party. Following his term as governor, he served in the United States Senate from 1856 to 1861.
Bigler Hall on the University Park campus of Penn State is named after William Bigler.
External links
- William Bigler at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- William Bigler at Find A Grave
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by William F. Johnston |
Governor of Pennsylvania 1852 – 1855 |
Succeeded by James Pollock |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by James Cooper |
United States Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861 Served alongside: Richard Brodhead and Simon Cameron |
Succeeded by Edgar Cowan |
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