William Findlay

Infobox Governor
name= William Findlay


caption=
order= 4th
office= Governor of Pennsylvania
term_start= December 16, 1817
term_end= December 19, 1820
lieutenant=
predecessor= Simon Snyder
successor= Joseph Hiester
order2 = Senior Senator from Pennsylvania
term_start2 = 1821
term_end2 = 1827
predecessor2 = Jonathan Roberts
successor2 = Isaac D. Barnard
birth_date= June 20, 1768
birth_place=Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
death_date=November 12, 1846
death_place=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
party= Democratic-Republican Party
profession=
spouse=
religion =
footnotes=

William Findlay (June 20 1768ndash November 12 1846) was governor of Pennsylvania from 1817 to 1820. A Jeffersonian Democrat, and lawyer by training, Findlay served in the state legislature and was elected state treasurer in 1807. He remained in this position until 1817 when he was nominated for the post of governor in the state's first open convention. He was the first governor to lead the state from its new capital of Harrisburg, running many of the functions of government out of his own home while the new capitol building was under construction. He was defeated for re-election in 1820 by Joseph Hiester, but was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1821 and later served as director of the U.S. Mint. He is interred at Harrisburg Cemetery.

Findlay Township in Western Pennsylvania and Findlay Commons on the campus of Penn State University are both named for Governor Findlay.

He was the brother of United States Congressman John and United States Congressman and Cincinnati mayor James Findlay.

ources

*Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Biography [http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/governors/findlay.asp?secid=31]