William Gregory (August 3, 1849 – December 16, 1901) was an American politician who served as the 46th

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...

Early life

Gregory was born in Astoria, Long Island, New York on August 3, 1849. He attended high school in

Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island, first settled by English colonists in 1661 and incorporated as a municipality in 1669. It is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a popula ...

, and became superintendent of a mill in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

before he was 21.

Career

Before entering politics, Gregory was as a wool mill owner in Wickford. He later served as president and Director of Wickford National Bank, Director of two Providence banks, and Chairman of the Board of State Charities and Corrections.

Political life

Gregory served as

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

for two terms (1898-1900), and then served as

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

for one full term, and had been re-elected for a second term at the time of his death, from May 29, 1900 to December 16, 1901. During his administration, the state constitution was amended to move the capital from Newport to

. The new marble State House was opened in Providence, and Gregory became the first governor to occupy it. Gregory was an active member of the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

.The Political Graveyard: Freemasons, politicians, Rhode Island
at politicalgraveyard.com

Personal life

In 1875 Gregory married Harriet Vaughan, daughter of Syria B. Vaughan, a merchant of Wickford. They had two children, Albert Winsor and Mary Louise. Gregory was known to have suffered from

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied b ...

for many years. He had been ill for "some time," but seemed to be recovering at the time of his death. He died on December 16, 1901, at his home in

North Kingstown, Rhode Island North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilbe ...

, having recently won re-election to a second term of office.

Notes

Sources

* Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. ''Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978''. Greenwood Press, 1988.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, William 1849 births 1901 deaths Republican Party governors of Rhode Island Burials in Rhode Island Deaths from kidney disease