Robert McClelland (American politician)

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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 Stuart
Succeeded by	Jacob Thompson
9th Governor of Michigan
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	Jacob M. Howard (at-large)
Succeeded by	Alexander W. Buel

Personal details
Born	(1807-08-01)August 1, 1807 Greencastle, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 30, 1880(1880-08-30) (aged 73) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sarah Sabine
Education	Dickinson College (BA)

Robert McClelland (August 1, 1807 – August 30, 1880) was an American statesman, serving as U.S. Representative from Michigan, the ninth governor of Michigan, and United States Secretary of the Interior.

Early life in Pennsylvania

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.

Life and politics in 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.

McClelland played a prominent role in the Michigan's constitutional convention of 1850. Due to changes adopted in that constitution, he was elected to a one-year term as Governor of Michigan in 1851. He was re-elected to a full two-year term in 1852. During his tenure, he softened his support of the Wilmot Proviso and instead urged support for the Compromise of 1850. He played a prominent role at the national Democratic convention of 1852. He resigned as governor in March 1853 to become the Secretary of the Interior under Franklin Pierce, and was succeeded by his second Lieutenant Governor Andrew Parsons.

Retirement and death

Following the inauguration of James Buchanan in 1857, McClelland retired from public office and began a private law practice in Detroit. In 1867, he briefly returned to public service as a member of the Michigan constitutional convention.

McClelland died in Detroit at the age of 73, and is interred at Elmwood Cemetery.

His former residence at 47 East Elm Avenue in Monroe, Michigan, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as the Governor Robert McClelland House, and is today privately owned.

References

^ Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan. Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892. pp. 129–130.
^ "Robert McClelland from the Dictionary of American Biography, Volume XI, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1933". McClelland Genealogy. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
^ United States Congress. "Robert McClelland (id: M000334)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Constance Henslee (January 26, 1971), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM: Governor Robert McClelland House (note: large pdf file)
State of Michigan (2001–2003). "McClelland, Governor Robert, House". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2023.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byJacob M. Howard at-large	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st congressional district 1843–1849	Succeeded byAlexander W. Buel
Preceded byIsaac E. Holmes	Chair of the House Commerce Committee 1845–1847	Succeeded byWashington Hunt
Party political offices
Preceded byJohn S. Barry	Democratic nominee for Governor of Michigan 1851, 1852	Succeeded byJohn S. Barry
Political offices
Preceded byJohn S. Barry	Governor of Michigan 1852–1853	Succeeded byAndrew Parsons
Preceded byAlexander Stuart	United States Secretary of the Interior 1853–1857	Succeeded byJacob Thompson

v t e Governors of Michigan
Territorial (1805–1837)	Hull Cass Porter Mason Horner
State (since 1837)	Mason Woodbridge Gordon Barry Felch Greenly Ransom Barry McClelland Parsons Bingham Wisner Blair Crapo Baldwin Bagley Croswell Jerome Begole Alger Luce Winans Rich Pingree Bliss Warner Osborn Ferris Sleeper Groesbeck Green Brucker Comstock Fitzgerald Murphy Fitzgerald Dickinson Van Wagoner Kelly Sigler Williams Swainson Romney Milliken Blanchard Engler Granholm Snyder Whitmer

v t e United States secretaries of the interior
Ewing McKennan Stuart McClelland Thompson C. Smith Usher Harlan Browning Cox Delano Chandler Schurz Kirkwood Teller Lamar Vilas Noble H. Smith Francis Bliss Hitchcock Garfield Ballinger Fisher Lane Payne Fall Work West Wilbur Ickes Krug Chapman McKay Seaton Udall Hickel Morton Hathaway Kleppe Andrus Watt Clark Hodel Lujan Babbitt Norton Kempthorne Salazar Jewell Zinke Bernhardt Haaland

v t e Cabinet of President Franklin Pierce (1853–1857)
Secretary of State	William L. Marcy (1853–1857)
Secretary of the Treasury	James Guthrie (1853–1857)
Secretary of War	Jefferson Davis (1853–1857)
Attorney General	Caleb Cushing (1853–1857)
Postmaster General	James Campbell (1853–1857)
Secretary of the Navy	James C. Dobbin (1853–1857)
Secretary of the Interior	Robert McClelland (1853–1857)

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan

Territory	Woodbridge Sibley Richard Wing Biddle Wing Lyon G. Jones
At-large	Crary J. Howard Kelley Staebler

1st district	McClelland Buel Penniman D. Stuart W. Howard Cooper W. Howard Granger Beaman Waldron Field A. S. Williams Newberry Lord Maybury J. L. Chipman Griffin Corliss Lucking Denby Doremus Codd Clancy Sosnowski Clancy Sadowski Tenerowicz Sadowski Machrowicz Nedzi Conyers Stupak Benishek Bergman
2nd district	Lyon J. S. Chipman E. Bradley C. Stuart Sprague C. Stuart Noble Waldron Beaman Upson Stoughton Waldron Willits Eldredge Allen Gorman Spalding H. Smith Townsend Wedemeyer Beakes Bacon Beakes Michener Lehr Michener Meader Vivian Esch Pursell Hoekstra Huizenga Moolenaar
3rd district	Hunt Bingham J. Conger Clark Walbridge Kellogg Longyear Blair Willard McGowan Lacey O'Donnell Burrows Milnes A. Todd Gardner J. Smith Frankhauser J. Smith A. B. Williams Hooper Kimball Main Shafer Johansen P. Todd G. Brown Wolpe Henry Ehlers Amash Meijer Scholten
4th district	H. L. Stevens Peck Leach Trowbridge Kellogg Ferry Foster Burrows Potter Keightley Burrows Yaple Burrows Thomas Hamilton Ketcham Foulkes Hoffman Hutchinson Stockman Siljander Upton Camp Moolenaar Huizenga
5th district	Baldwin Trowbridge O. Conger Foster W. Williams Stone Webber Houseman Comstock M. Ford Belknap M. Ford Belknap Richardson W. Smith Diekema Sweet Mapes Jonkman G. Ford Vander Veen Sawyer Henry Barcia D. E. Kildee D. T. Kildee Walberg
6th district	Driggs Strickland Sutherland Begole Durand Brewer Spaulding Winans Brewer Stout Aitken S. Smith Kelley Hudson Person Cady Blackney Transue Blackney Clardy Hayworth Chamberlain Carr Dunn Carr Upton Dingell
7th district	O. Conger Rich Carleton Whiting Snover Weeks McMorran Cramton Wolcott McIntosh O'Hara Mackie Riegle D. E. Kildee N. Smith Schwarz Walberg Schauer Walberg Slotkin Barrett (elect)
8th district	N. Bradley Ellsworth Horr Tarsney Bliss Youmans Linton Brucker Fordney Vincent Hart Crawford Bentley Harvey Traxler Carr Chrysler Stabenow Rogers M. Bishop Slotkin Kildee McDonald Rivet (elect)
9th district	Hubbell Cutcheon H. Wheeler Moon R. Bishop McLaughlin Harry W. Musselwhite Engel Thompson Griffin Vander Jagt D. E. Kildee Knollenberg Peters S. Levin A. Levin McClain
10th district	Hatch Fisher F. Wheeler Weadock Crump Aplin Loud Woodruff Loud Currie Woodruff Cederberg Albosta Schuette Camp Bonior Miller Mitchell McClain J. James
11th district	Breitung Moffatt Seymour Stephenson Avery Mesick Darragh Dodds Lindquist Scott Bohn P. Brown Luecke F. Bradley Potter Knox Clevenger Ruppe Davis Knollenberg McCotter Curson Bentivolio Trott H. Stevens
12th district	Stephenson Shelden Young MacDonald W. F. James Hook Bennett Hook Bennett O'Hara Bonior Levin J. Dingell Jr. D. Dingell Tlaib
13th district	Nichols McLeod Brennan McLeod O'Brien McLeod O'Brien Coffin O'Brien Diggs Crockett Collins W. Ford Rivers Kilpatrick Clarke Conyers B. Jones Tlaib Thanedar
14th district	Weideman Rabaut Youngblood Rabaut Ryan Nedzi Hertel Conyers Peters Lawrence
15th district	J. Dingell Sr. J. Dingell Jr. W. Ford Collins Kilpatrick J. Dingell Jr.
16th district	Lesinski Sr. Lesinski Jr. J. Dingell Jr.
17th district	Dondero Oakman Griffiths Brodhead Levin
18th district	Dondero Broomfield Huber Blanchard Broomfield
19th district	Farnum McDonald Broomfield

v t e Chairmen of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Commerce and Manufactures (1795–1819)	Goodhue Swanwick Livingston S. Smith Mitchill Crowninshield Mumford Newton
Commerce (1819–1893)	Newton Cambreleng Sutherland F. Smith Cushman Curtis Kennedy Holmes McClelland Hunt McLane Seymour Fuller Washburne Cochrane Washburne Eliot Dixon Shellabarger Wheeler Hereford Ward Reagan Page Reagan Clardy Baker
Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1893–1981)	Mills Wise Hepburn Mann Adamson Sims Esch Winslow Parker Rayburn Lea Wolverton Crosser Wolverton Priest Harris Staggers
Energy and Commerce (1981–present)	Dingell Bliley Tauzin Barton Dingell Waxman Upton Walden Pallone McMorris Rodgers

v t e Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives
Convis Whipple Bingham Acker Fuller Biddle Bingham McClelland Lothrop Hanscom Crary Peck Buel Chapman Harris Thurber Quackenboss Lovell Stout Shaw Mussey Cutcheon G. E. Read P. D. Warner Woodman Croswell Hoyt Rich Moffatt Howard Clark Markey Diekema Wachtel Tateum Gordon Adams Carton Master Whelan Campbell Baker Currie Smith Rice T. Read F. L. Warner Welsh Wells Gardner Ming Bradley Schroeder Nugent Knox Van Valkenburg Van Peursem Pears Green Kowalski Waldron Ryan Crim Owen Dodak Hertel/Hillegonds (co-speakers, '93–'94) Hillegonds Hertel Perricone Johnson DeRoche Dillon Bolger Cotter Leonard Chatfield Wentworth Tate Hall (designate)

This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

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