William Claflin
William Claflin | |
|---|---|
| 27th Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 7, 1869 – January 4, 1872 | |
| Lieutenant | Joseph Tucker |
| Preceded by | Alexander H. Bullock |
| Succeeded by | William B. Washburn |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 8th district | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | William W. Warren |
| Succeeded by | John W. Candler |
| 27th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 4, 1866 – January 7, 1869 | |
| Governor | Alexander H. Bullock |
| Preceded by | Joel Hayden |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Tucker |
| 4th Chairman of the Republican National Committee | |
| In office 1868–1872 | |
| Preceded by | Marcus Lawrence Ward |
| Succeeded by | Edwin D. Morgan |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office 1849–1853 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 6, 1818 Milford, Massachusetts |
| Died | January 5, 1905 (aged 86) Newton, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Free Soil Republican |
William Claflin (March 6, 1818 – January 5, 1905) was an American politician, industrialist, and philanthropist from Massachusetts. He served as the 27th governor of Massachusetts from 1869 to 1872 and as a member of the United States Congress from 1877 to 1881. He also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1868 to 1872, serving as a moderating force between the Radical and moderate wings of the Republican Party. His name is given to Claflin University in South Carolina, a historically black college founded with funding from him and his father.
Claflin was educated at Brown University and worked in his father's shoe manufacturing business before becoming a partner in it. An opponent of slavery, he helped establish the state's Free Soil Party before dominating the state's Republican Party establishment in the 1860s. He supported a number of social reforms, including increased property and voting rights for women, and he was the state's first governor to actively support full women's suffrage. He supported many charitable causes and promoted the development of the village Newtonville, where his country estate was located.