Thomas Ewing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the United States politician. For the Australian politician, see Thomas Ewing (Australian politician).

For the Illinois congressman, see Thomas W. Ewing

For his namesake son, see Thomas Ewing, Jr.

Thomas Ewing
14th United States Secretary of the Treasury
In office March 4, 1841 – September 11, 1841
Preceded by	Levi Woodbury
Succeeded by	Walter Forward
1st United States Secretary of the Interior
In office March 8, 1849 – July 22, 1850
Preceded by	(none)
Succeeded by	Thomas M.T. McKennan
Born	December 28, 1789 West Liberty, Virginia (now West Virginia), USA
Died	October 26, 1871 (aged 81) Lancaster, Ohio, USA
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Maria Wills Boyle Ewing
Profession	Politician, Lawyer

Thomas Ewing, Sr. (December 28, 1789 – October 26, 1871) was a National Republican and Whig politician from Ohio. He served in the U.S. Senate as well as serving as the Secretary of the Treasury and the first Secretary of the Interior.

Born in West Liberty, Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia). After studying at Ohio University and reading law under Philemon Beecher, Ewing commenced the practice of law in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1816.

As a colorful country lawyer, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1830 as a Whig and served a single term. He was unsuccessful in seeking a second term in 1836. Ewing served as Secretary of the Treasury from March 4, 1841 – September 11, 1841, serving under Presidents William Henry Harrison and John Tyler.

Ewing was later appointed to serve as the first Secretary of the Interior by President Zachary Taylor. Ewing served in the position from March 8, 1849–July 22, 1850 under Taylor and Millard Fillmore. As first secretary, he consolidated bureaus from various Departments, such as the Land Office from the Treasury Department and the Indian Bureau from the War Department. The bureaus were being kicked out of their offices as unwanted tenants in their former departments. However, the Interior Department had no office space, so Ewing rented space. Later, the Patent Office building, with a new east wing, provided permanent space in 1852. Ewing initiated the Interior Department's culture of corruption by wholesale replacement of officials with political patronage. Newspapers called him "Butcher Ewing" for his efforts.

In 1850 Ewing was appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Thomas Corwin, and served from July 20, 1850 - March 3, 1851. Ewing was unsuccessful in seeking re-election in 1851. Ewing was appointed by President Andrew Johnson to a third post as Secretary of War in 1868 following the firing of Edwin M. Stanton but the Senate, still outraged at Johnson's firing of Stanton—which had provoked Johnson's impeachment—refused to act on the nomination.

Ewing married Maria Wills Boyle, a Roman Catholic, and raised their children in her faith. His foster son was the famous general William Tecumseh Sherman, whose conversion Maria Ewing arranged and he took the Christian name "William" (prior to that he was known simply as "Tecumseh Sherman"). William Tecumseh Sherman married Thomas Ewing Sr.'s daughter. Ewing's son, Thomas Ewing, Jr., was an American Civil War Union army general and two-term U.S. Congressman from Ohio.

Prior to his death in 1871, Ewing had been the last surviving member of the Harrison and Tyler Cabinets.

[edit] External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Thomas Ewing at Find A Grave
• Ewing Family History Pages
  • Biography

Preceded by Jacob Burnet	United States Senator (Class 3) from Ohio 1831–1837 Served alongside: Benjamin Ruggles, Thomas Morris	Succeeded by William Allen
Preceded by Levi Woodbury	United States Secretary of the Treasury 1841	Succeeded by Walter Forward
Preceded by (none)	United States Secretary of the Interior 1849–1850	Succeeded by Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan
Preceded by Thomas Corwin	United States Senator (Class 1) from Ohio 1850–1851 Served alongside: Salmon P. Chase	Succeeded by Benjamin F. Wade

United States Secretaries of the Treasury

Hamilton • Wolcott • Dexter • Gallatin • Campbell • Dallas • Crawford • Rush • Ingham • McLane • Duane • Taney • Woodbury • Ewing • Forward • Spencer • Bibb • Walker • Meredith • Corwin • Guthrie • Cobb • Thomas • Dix • Chase • Fessenden • McCulloch • Boutwell • Richardson • Bristow • Morrill • Sherman • Windom • Folger • Gresham • McCulloch • Manning • Fairchild • Windom • Foster • Carlisle • Gage • Shaw • Cortelyou • MacVeagh • McAdoo • Glass • Houston • Mellon • Mills • Woodin • Morgenthau • Vinson • Snyder • Humphrey • Anderson • Dillon • Fowler • Barr • Kennedy • Connally • Shultz • Simon • Blumenthal • Miller • Regan • Baker • Brady • Bentsen • Rubin • Summers • O'Neill • Snow • Paulson

United States Secretaries of the Interior

Ewing • McKennan • Stuart • McClelland • Thompson • C Smith • Usher • Harlan • Browning • Cox • Delano • Chandler • Schurz • Kirkwood • Teller • Lamar • Vilas • Noble • M Smith • Francis • Bliss • Hitchcock • Garfield • Ballinger • Fisher • Lane • Payne • Fall • Work • West • Wilbur • Ickes • Krug • Chapman • McKay • Seaton • Udall • Hickel • Morton • Hathaway • Kleppe • Andrus • Watt • Clark • Hodel • Lujan • Babbitt • Norton • Kempthorne