Nathan Goff Jr. (February 9, 1843 – April 23, 1920) was a

United States 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 ...

from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

, a

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

officer, the 28th

United States Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

during President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

administration, a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maryland ...

and of the United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit and a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from West Virginia.

Early life and education

Born on February 9, 1843, in Clarksburg, Harrison County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

(now

), to Waldo Goff, who had five times won election to represent Harrison County in the Virginia House of Delegates. Goff attended the Northwestern Academy in Clarksburg and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He received a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

in 1866 from

New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in N ...

American Civil War

Although his family owned several slaves, they favored the Union. 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 ...

, Goff joined the

in 1861; enlisting in the

3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment The 3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On May 23, 1863, it was converted to a mounted infantry by Brigadier General William W. Averell. The regiment was immedi ...

. He later became a major in the 4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

Postwar career

Goff became editor of the ''Clarksburg Telegraph'' beginning in 1866. Admitted to the bar, he began his private legal practice in Clarksburg from 1866 to 1867. He won election to the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular sessions begin with ...

from 1867 to 1868. Goff then became the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of West Virginia from 1868 to 1881, and from 1881 to 1882. He served as the 28th

in 1881. However, Goff failed to win election to Congress as a Republican candidate in 1870 and 1874. He was also the Republican candidate for

Governor of West Virginia 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 ...

in 1876 and 1888, but voters instead elected the Democrat.

United States representative

Goff was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from

West Virginia's 1st congressional district West Virginia's 1st congressional district is currently located in the northern part of the state. It is the most regularly drawn of the state's three districts. As a result of the state's loss of a seat as a result of the 2020 United States c ...

to the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

of the 48th, 49th and

50th United States Congress The 50th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 ...

es, serving from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1889. He was not a candidate for renomination. Following his departure from Congress, Goff resumed private practice in Clarksburg from 1889 to 1892.

Federal judicial service

Goff was nominated by President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

on December 16, 1891, to the

and the United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit, to a new joint seat authorized by 26 Stat. 826. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on March 17, 1892, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. His service terminated on March 31, 1913, due to his resignation.

United States senator

Goff was elected as a Republican to the

for the term commencing March 4, 1913, but did not immediately take his seat, preferring to remain on the federal bench, and served from April 1, 1913, to March 3, 1919. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1918. He was Chairman of the Committee on Conservation of Natural Resources for the 65th United States Congress and Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Expositions for the 65th United States Congress.

Death

Goff died on April 23, 1920, in Clarksburg. He was interred in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Clarksburg. He was the last surviving member of the Hayes Cabinet.

Family

Goff was the father of West Virginia

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Guy D. Goff and grandfather of

United States 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 ...

from

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Louise Goff Reece Louise Goff Reece (November 6, 1898 – May 14, 1970) was an American politician and a United States representative from Tennessee. Early life Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Reece was a daughter of Guy D. Goff and granddaughter of Nathan Goff, b ...

Home

Goff's home at Clarksburg, the Nathan Goff Jr. House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1976. It was delisted in 1994, after demolition in 1993.

Namesake

The

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

destroyer was named in his honor.

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

The

West Virginia & Regional History Center The West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC), is the largest archival collection housing documents and manuscripts involving West Virginia and the surrounding central Appalachian region. Because of name changes over the years, it is some ...

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...

houses the papers of Nathan Goff Jr. in three collections
A&M 213A&M 953
an
A&M 1940

- Naval Historical Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goff, Nathan, Jr. 1843 births 1920 deaths Politicians from Clarksburg, West Virginia United States Secretaries of the Navy Hayes administration cabinet members Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia Republican Party United States senators from West Virginia Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit United States Attorneys for the District of West Virginia United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians West Virginia lawyers People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Military personnel from Clarksburg, West Virginia Union Army officers Lawyers from Clarksburg, West Virginia