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William Alexander Graham
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| In office November 25, 1840 – March 3, 1843 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Strange |
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| Succeeded by | William H. Haywood, Jr. |
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| In office 1845 – 1849 |
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| Preceded by | John Motley Morehead |
| Succeeded by | Charles Manly |
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| In office August 2, 1850 – July 25, 1852 |
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| Preceded by | William Ballard Preston |
| Succeeded by | John P. Kennedy |
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| Born | September 5, 1804 Lincoln County, North Carolina |
| Died | August 11, 1875 Saratoga Springs, New York |
| Political party | Whig |
| Children | William A. Graham Augustus Graham John Graham Susan (Graham) Clark |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
William Alexander Graham (September 5, 1804 – August 11, 1875) was a United States Senator from North Carolina from 1840 to 1843, Governor of North Carolina from 1845 to 1849 and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1850 to 1852. He was also a candidate for the vice-presidency in 1852.
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Education
Born near Lincolnton, North Carolina, Graham graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1824. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1825, and commenced practice in Hillsborough.
Political career
From 1833 to 1840 Graham was a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from Orange County, serving twice as speaker.
In 1840 Graham was elected as a Whig to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Robert Strange, and served from November 25, 1840, to March 3, 1843. In the Twenty-seventh Congress he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Claims. His older brother, James Graham, had been representing North Carolina in the House since 1833.
From 1845 to 1849 Graham was Governor of North Carolina. Having declined appointments as ambassador to Spain and Russia in 1849, he was appointed Secretary of the Navy in the cabinet of President Millard Fillmore in 1850, and served until 1852. In the 1852 presidential election he was the unsuccessful Whig nominee for vice president, as Winfield Scott's running mate. Returning to North Carolina, he was a member of the state senate from 1854 to 1866, and senator in the Confederate Congress from 1864 to 1865.
Later life and legacy
In 1866 Graham was once again elected to the United States Senate, but because North Carolina had not yet been readmitted to the Union, he did not present his credentials. From 1867 to 1875 he was a member of the board of trustees of the Peabody Fund, which provided educational assistance to the post-Civil War South. From 1873 to 1875 he was an arbitrator in the boundary line dispute between Virginia and Maryland. He died in Saratoga Springs, New York, and is buried in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Hillsborough.
The United States Navy ship, USS Graham (DD-192), the World War II Liberty ship SS William A. Graham, and the city of Graham, North Carolina were all named for him.
Montrose Gardens, located in Hillsborough, North Carolina, is one of Graham's former estates and still features some of the structures Graham and his family had built on the property.
One of Graham's sons, also named William A. Graham, became a state legislator and state agriculture commissioner. Two others, Augustus and John, also became politicians, while a daughter, Susan, married Walter Clark.
References
| United States Senate | ||
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| Preceded by Robert Strange |
United States Senator (Class 3) from North Carolina November 25, 1840 – March 3, 1843 Served alongside: Willie P. Mangum |
Succeeded by William H. Haywood, Jr. |
| Preceded by Edwin G. Reade |
Confederate States Senator from North Carolina February 18, 1864 – May 10, 1865 Served alongside: William T. Dortch |
Defeat of the Confederacy |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Motley Morehead |
Governor of North Carolina 1845 – 1849 |
Succeeded by Charles Manly |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by William B. Preston |
United States Secretary of the Navy August 2, 1850 – July 25, 1852 |
Succeeded by John P. Kennedy |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Millard Fillmore |
Whig Party vice presidential candidate 1852 (lost) |
Succeeded by Andrew Jackson Donelson |
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