Thomas S. Williams (August 28, 1806 – June 16, 1872) was a Republican United States Representative from Pennsylvania. Williams was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He attended the common schools and graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

in 1825. In 1828, he was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar and began practicing in Greensburg. In 1832, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he continued in private practice and edited the ''Advocate'', a Whig newspaper. Williams served in the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

from 1838 to 1841, then returned to private practice. During the American Civil War, Williams returned to public office, this time becoming a United States representative, a position he held from March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1869. He was considered a Radical Republican during the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. In his last term as representative, he was involved in matters of impeaching President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

. He wrote the majority report of the House Committee on Judiciary in support of impeachment at the conclusion of the

first impeachment inquiry against Andrew Johnson The first impeachment inquiry against Andrew Johnson was launched by a vote of the United States House of Representatives on January 7, 1867 to investigate the potential impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the president of the United States. It w ...

in late 1867. The House ultimately voted to rejected the recommendation of impeachment at that time. Months later, after the impeachment of Johnson, Williams served as one of the

House impeachment managers An impeachment manager is a legislator appointed to serve as a prosecutor in an impeachment trial. They are also often called "House managers" or "House impeachment manager" when appointed from a legislative chamber that is called a "House of Repr ...

(roughly equivalent to a prosecutor) in the impeachment trial. Williams lived in retirement until his death in Allegheny, Pennsylvania; his body is buried in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

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* Pennsylvania state senators Dickinson College alumni Politicians from Pittsburgh People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union (American Civil War) political leaders 1806 births 1872 deaths Pennsylvania Whigs Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Burials at Allegheny Cemetery 19th-century American politicians {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub