William Harrison Graham (August 3, 1844 – March 2, 1923) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryl ...

Biography

William H. Graham was born on August 3, 1844, in

Allegheny, Pennsylvania Allegheny City was a municipality that existed in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, with its southwest border formed by ...

(now part of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

). During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he enlisted on April 5, 1861, in the Second Regiment of the Virginia Infantry of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

. After a service of two years, the unit was mounted and became the Fifth Regiment of West Virginia Cavalry. He was mustered out on June 14, 1864.

Post-war life

Following his honorable discharge from the military, Graham engaged in the leather business in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Elected to the

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

, he served from 1875 to 1878. He was then appointed as

Recorder of deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Allegheny County () is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,250,578, making it the state's second-most populous county, following Philadelphia Co ...

, and served in that capacity from 1882 to 1891. He was also engaged in banking. Elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

William A. Stone William Alexis Stone (April 18, 1846March 1, 1920) was an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1899 to 1903. Early life and family Stone was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. He was descended fro ...

, Graham was reelected to the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Congresses, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

.The Political Graveyard
Graham was subsequently elected to the Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-first Congresses. He served as chairman of the

United States House Committee on Ventilation and Acoustics The United States House Committee on Ventilation and Acoustics is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the ...

during the Sixtieth Congress, and of the United States House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture during the Sixty-first Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the Republican primaries for renomination.

Later life, death and interment

After his time in Congress, Graham served as a member of the Allegheny County Board of Viewers from 1911 to 1923. He died in Pittsburgh in 1923 and was interred in Highwood Cemetery.The Political Graveyard

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, William H. 1844 births 1923 deaths Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Union Army soldiers Politicians from Pittsburgh Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania