William Paterson (jurist)
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| William Paterson | |
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| In office 1790 – 1793 |
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| Preceded by | Elisha Lawrence |
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| Succeeded by | Thomas Henderson |
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| Born | December 24, 1745 County Antrim, now in Northern Ireland |
| Died | September 9, 1806 Albany, New York |
William Paterson (December 24, 1745 – September 9, 1806) was a New Jersey statesman, a signer of the United States Constitution, and Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, who served as the 2nd Governor of New Jersey, from 1790 to 1793.
William Paterson was born on December 24, 1745, in County Antrim, in Northern Ireland, moved to what is the United States at age 2, and entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) at age 14. After graduating, he studied law with the prominent lawyer Richard Stockton and was admitted to the bar in 1768.
Paterson became an outspoken supporter of American independence. He was selected as Somerset County, New Jersey delegate for the first three provincial congresses of New Jersey, where as secretary he recorded the 1776 New Jersey State Constitution.
After Independence, Paterson was appointed as the first Attorney General of New Jersey, serving from 1776-1783, maintaining law and order and establishing himself as one of the state's most prominent lawyers. He was sent to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he proposed the New Jersey Plan for a unicameral legislative body with equal representation from each state. After the Great Compromise (for two legislative bodies: a Senate with equal representation for each state, and a House of Representatives with representation based on population), the Constitution was signed.
He served as Governor of New Jersey and in the New Jersey Senate, where he oversaw the revision and codification of the entire state legal system. George Washington appointed him associate justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1793, where he served until his death on September 9, 1806 in Albany, New York, aged 60. He is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Albany.
Paterson, New Jersey and William Paterson University are named after him.
[edit] External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution: William Paterson
| Preceded by Office created |
New Jersey Attorney General 1776–1783 |
Succeeded by Joseph Bloomfield |
| Preceded by Office created |
United States Senator (Class 2) from New Jersey 1789–1790 Served alongside: Jonathan Elmer |
Succeeded by Philemon Dickinson |
| Preceded by Elisha Lawrence |
Governor of New Jersey 1790–1793 |
Succeeded by Thomas Henderson |
| Preceded by Thomas Johnson |
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States March 11, 1793 – September 9, 1806 |
Succeeded by Henry Brockholst Livingston |
| Governors of New Jersey |  |
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| Livingston • Paterson • Howell • Bloomfield • Ogden • W.S. Pennington • M. Dickerson • Williamson • Vroom • Southard • Seeley • P. Dickerson • W. Pennington • Haines • Stratton • Fort • Price • Newell • Olden • Parker • Ward • Randolph • Bedle • McClellan • Ludlow • Abbett • Green • Werts • Griggs • Voorhees • Murphy • Stokes • Fort • Wilson • Fielder • Edge • Edwards • Silzer • Moore • Larson • Hoffman • Edison • Driscoll • Meyner • Hughes • Cahill • Byrne • Kean • Florio • Whitman • DiFrancesco • McGreevey • Codey • Corzine |
| The Jay Court |  |
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| 1793–1795: | J. Wilson | Wm. Cushing | J. Blair | J. Iredell | Wm. Paterson | |
| The Rutledge Court | ||
| 1795: | J. Wilson | Wm. Cushing | J. Blair | J. Iredell | Wm. Paterson | |
| The Ellsworth Court | ||
| 1796–1798: | J. Wilson | Wm. Cushing | J. Iredell | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | |
| 1798–February 1799: | Wm. Cushing | J. Iredell | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | |
| February–October 1799: | Wm. Cushing | J. Iredell | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | B. Washington | |
| October 1799–April 1800: | Wm. Cushing | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | B. Washington | |
| April–December 1800: | Wm. Cushing | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | B. Washington | A. Moore | |
| The Marshall Court | ||
| 1801–1804: | Wm. Cushing | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | B. Washington | A. Moore | |
| 1804–1806: | Wm. Cushing | Wm. Paterson | S. Chase | B. Washington | Wm. Johnson | |
Categories: 1745 births | 1806 deaths | Foreign-born American politicians | Governors of New Jersey | Irish-American politicians | New Jersey Attorneys General | New Jersey State Senators | People from Albany, New York | Princeton University alumni | Signers of the United States Constitution | United States Senators from New Jersey | United States Supreme Court justices | Burials at Albany Rural Cemetery
