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 Wellsboro is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. The borough was founded by Benjamin Wistar Morris. It is located northwest of Williamsport. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. Early in the 20th century, Wellsboro was the shipp ...

. He was descended from Simon Stone, Jr (1631 - 1708), who was born in Bocking, Essex,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1864, Stone enlisted in 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

as a private 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 ...

, and became a second lieutenant in 1865. He continued his military service after the war in the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...

. He attended Mansfield State Normal School and taught while studying law. The eldest daughter by his first wife married Dr. Percy D. Hickling, a prominent physician in Washington D.C. Dr. Hickling was on the Committee of President Cleveland's Inaugural Ball. They were both members of the Shakespeare Club of Washington of which Dr. Hickling was also President.

Col. William A. Stone's second wife, Elizabeth B. White, was the youngest daughter of Judge R.C. White, of Wellsboro, Ohio. She was connected with one of the oldest and best of Pennsylvania's families. Benjamin Franklin's daughter married into the Bach family, of which her mother was descended, and her mother was a cousin of Dr. William Carpenter and Dr. Mary Carpenter, of London, who, with the Princess Alice, established a Mission School in India. Elizabeth White Stone was born in Tioga County. She attended school in New York City, where she was graduated at a musical academy. They had 4 children, 3 daughters and 1 son.

Appointments

In 1872, he was appointed as a clerk for 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 ...

. Two years later, he ran for his first political office, becoming district attorney of Tioga County. In 1876, he was appointed district attorney for the

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (in case citations, W.D. Pa.) is a federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal ...

by 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 ...

. He held that post until 1886 when he violated President

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

's edict for political office-holders not to campaign for political candidates. Stone campaigned for

James A. Beaver James Addams Beaver (October 21, 1837 – January 31, 1914) was an American attorney, recruiter and field commander of Pennsylvania Infantry who was wounded four times during the American Civil War, and politician who served as the 20th governo ...

, and his removal only increased his popularity.

Congress and Pennsylvania Governorship

Stone served four terms in 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 ...

before running for governor in

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

. During his term in office, Pennsylvania's state debt was eliminated, and a new capitol building was commissioned. After serving as governor, Stone joined his son in private law practice in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. He also served briefly as prothonotary for the

Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme Ju ...

in 1915.

In Memoriam

Stone Hall, a residence hall on Penn State's University Park campus is named for Stone.

References

The Political Graveyard

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, William A. 1846 births 1920 deaths People from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania American people of English descent Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Republican Party governors of Pennsylvania Union Army officers United States Attorneys for the Western District of Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Politicians from Pittsburgh Mansfield University of Pennsylvania alumni