John Weiss Forney

John Weiss Forney (30 September 1817 – 9 December 1881), also known as John Wien Forney, was an American newspaper publisher and politician. He was the owner of several newspapers including the Intelligencer and Journal, the Pennsylvanian, The Philadelphia Press, the Washington Daily Union, the Sunday Morning Chronicle, and the Progress.

He helped James Buchanan's presidential campaign and served as a Democraticclerk of the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1856. He broke with Buchanan over his pro-slavery stance, switched to the Republican Party and served as clerk of the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1860 to 1861. He served as the first Republican secretary of the United States Senate from 1861 to 1868.