Robert McClelland (American politician)

Robert McClelland
4th United States Secretary of the Interior
In office March 8, 1853 – March 9, 1857
President	Franklin Pierce James Buchanan
Preceded by	Alexander H.H. Stuart
Succeeded by	Jacob Thompson
9th Governor of Michigan
In office January 1, 1852 – March 7, 1853
Lieutenant	Calvin Britain Andrew Parsons
Preceded by	John S. Barry
Succeeded by	Andrew Parsons
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st district
In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Alexander W. Buel
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office 1838 1840
Personal details
Born	(1807-08-01)August 1, 1807 Greencastle, Pennsylvania, US
Died	August 30, 1880(1880-08-30) (aged 73) Detroit, Michigan, US
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Sarah Elizabeth Sabine McClelland
Alma mater	Dickinson College
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Teacher

Robert McClelland (August 1, 1807 – August 30, 1880) was a US statesman, serving as U.S. Representative from Michigan, the ninth Governor of Michigan, and United States Secretary of the Interior.

Early life in Pennsylvania

He was born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, the son of a prominent Franklin County doctor. He entered Dickinson College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and graduated among the top of his class in 1829. He studied law and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1831 and practiced law in Pittsburgh for a short time before moving in 1833 to Monroe in what was then the Territory of Michigan.

Life and politics in Michigan

McClelland became a member of the Michigan bar and established a successful law practice in Monroe, and he was a member of the constitutional convention in 1835. After Michigan became a state, Governor Stevens T. Mason offered the positions of state Bank Commissioner and state Attorney General, both of which he declined in order to develop his private practice, although he maintained an active role in the new state's Democratic Party. In 1836, McClelland married Sarah Elizabeth Sabine, with whom he had six children.

McClelland served on the board of regents of the University of Michigan in 1837 and again in 1850. He represented Monroe County in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1838, 1840 and was speaker of the house in 1843. He served as the mayor of Monroe in 1841. He was elected in 1842 as U.S. Representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district, serving from 1843 to 1849 in the 28th, 29th, and 30th Congresses. Going against the general opinion of the Democratic Party, he was a strong advocate of the Wilmot Proviso, which would have restricted the spread of slavery to new states. He was active in supporting his friend Lewis Cass's unsuccessful run for president in 1848 and did not seek reelection in that year.

McClelland played a prominent role in the Michigan's constitutional convention of 1850. Due to changes adopted in that constitution, he was elected to a one-year term as Governor of Michigan in 1851. He was re-elected to a full two-year term in 1852. During his tenure, he softened his support of the Wilmot Proviso and instead urged support for the Compromise of 1850. He played a prominent role at the national Democratic convention of 1852. He resigned as governor in March 1853 to become the Secretary of the Interior under Franklin Pierce, and was succeeded by his second Lieutenant Governor Andrew Parsons.

Retirement and death

Following the inauguration of James Buchanan in 1857, McClelland retired from public office and began a private law practice in Detroit. In 1867, he briefly returned to public service as a member of the Michigan constitutional convention.

At the age of 73, Robert McClelland died in Detroit and is interred at Elmwood Cemetery.

His former residence at 47 East Elm Avenue in Monroe, Michigan was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as the Governor Robert McClelland House and is today privately owned.

References

• 1892 Portrait & Biographical Album of Genesee, Lapeer & Tuscola Counties, Chapman Bros.
• Robert McClelland from the Dictionary of American Biography, Volume XI, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1933.

• United States Congress. "Robert McClelland (id: M000334)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. 
• Robert McClelland entry at The Political Graveyard

External links

• Robert McClelland entry at the National Governors Association
• Robert McClelland at Find a Grave

Governors of Michigan
Territorial (1805–37)	Hull Cass Porter Mason Horner
State (since 1837)	Mason Woodbridge Gordon Barry Felch Greenly Ransom Barry McClelland Parsons Bingham Wisner Blair Crapo Baldwin Bagley Croswell Jerome Begole Alger Luce Winans Rich Pingree Bliss Warner Osborn Ferris Sleeper Groesbeck Green Brucker Comstock Fitzgerald Murphy Fitzgerald Dickinson Van Wagoner Kelly Sigler Williams Swainson Romney Milliken Blanchard Engler Granholm Snyder

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 Salazar Jewell Zinke (Nominee)

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan
Territory Woodbridge Sibley Richard Wing Biddle Wing Lyon Jones At-large Crary J. Howard Kelley Staebler
1st district McClelland Buel Penniman D. Stuart W. Howard Cooper W. Howard Granger Beaman Waldron Field A. S. Williams Newberry Lord Maybury J. L. Chipman Griffin Corliss Lucking Denby Doremus Codd Clancy Sosnowski Clancy Sadowski Tenerowicz Sadowski Machrowicz Nedzi Conyers Stupak Benishek Bergman (elect) 2nd district Lyon J. S. Chipman E. Bradley C. Stuart Sprague C. Stuart Noble Waldron Beaman Upson Stoughton Waldron Willits Eldredge Allen Gorman Spalding H. Smith Townsend Wedemeyer Beakes Bacon Beakes Michener Lehr Michener Meader Vivian Esch Pursell Hoekstra Huizenga 3rd district Hunt Bingham J. Conger Clark Walbridge Kellogg Longyear Blair Willard McGowan Lacey O'Donnell Burrows Milnes A. Todd Gardner J. Smith Frankhauser J. Smith A. B. Williams Hooper Kimball Main Shafer Johansen P. Todd G. Brown Wolpe Henry Ehlers Amash 4th district Stevens Peck Leach Trowbridge Kellogg Ferry Foster Burrows Potter Keightley Burrows Yaple Burrows Thomas Hamilton Ketcham Foulkes Hoffman Hutchinson Stockman Siljander Upton Camp Moolenaar 5th district Baldwin Trowbridge O. Conger Foster W. Williams Stone Webber Houseman Comstock M. Ford Belknap M. Ford Belknap Richardson W. Smith Diekema Sweet Mapes Jonkman G. Ford Vander Veen Sawyer Henry Barcia D. E. Kildee D. T. Kildee 6th district Driggs Strickland Sutherland Begole Durand Brewer Spaulding Winans Brewer Stout Aitken S. Smith Kelley Hudson Person Cady Blackney Transue Blackney Clardy Hayworth Chamberlain Carr Dunn Carr Upton 7th district O. Conger Rich Carleton Whiting Snover Weeks McMorran Cramton Wolcott McIntosh O'Hara Mackie Riegle D. E. Kildee N. Smith Schwarz Walberg Schauer Walberg 8th district N. Bradley Ellsworth Horr Tarsney Bliss Youmans Linton Brucker Fordney Vincent Hart Crawford Bentley Harvey Traxler Carr Chrysler Stabenow Rogers M. Bishop 9th district Hubbell Cutcheon H. Wheeler Moon R. Bishop McLaughlin Harry W. Musselwhite Engel Thompson Griffin Vander Jagt D. E. Kildee Knollenberg Peters Levin 10th district Hatch Fisher F. Wheeler Weadock Crump Aplin Loud Woodruff Loud Currie Woodruff Cederberg Albosta Schuette Camp Bonior Miller Mitchell (elect) 11th district Breitung Moffatt Seymour Stephenson Avery Mesick Darragh Dodds Lindquist Scott Bohn P. Brown Luecke F. Bradley Potter Knox Clevenger Ruppe Davis Knollenberg McCotter Curson Bentivolio Trott 12th district Stephenson Shelden Young MacDonald James Hook Bennett Hook Bennett O'Hara Bonior Levin J. Dingell Jr. D. Dingell 13th district Nichols McLeod Brennan McLeod O'Brien McLeod O'Brien Coffin O'Brien Diggs Crockett Collins W. Ford Rivers Kilpatrick Clarke Conyers 14th district Weideman Rabaut Youngblood Rabaut Ryan Nedzi Hertel Conyers Peters Lawrence 15th district J. Dingell Sr. J. Dingell Jr. W. Ford Collins Kilpatrick J. Dingell Jr. 16th district Lesinski Sr. Lesinski Jr. J. Dingell Jr. 17th district Dondero Oakman Griffiths Brodhead Levin 18th district Dondero Broomfield Huber Blanchard Broomfield 19th district Farnum McDonald Broomfield

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Commerce and Manufactures (1795–1819)	Goodhue Swanwick Livingston S. Smith Mitchill Crowninshield Mumford Newton
Commerce (1819–1893)	Newton Cambreleng Sutherland F. Smith Cushman Curtis Kennedy Holmes McClelland Hunt McLane Seymour Fuller Washburne Cochrane Washburne Eliot Dixon Shellabarger Wheeler Hereford Ward Reagan Page Reagan Clardy Baker
Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1893–1981)	Wise Hepburn Mann Adamson Sims Esch Winslow Parker Rayburn Lea Wolverton Crosser Wolverton Priest Harris Staggers
Energy and Commerce (1981–present)	Dingell Bliley Tauzin Barton Dingell Waxman Upton Walden (Designate)

Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives
Convis Whipple Bingham Acker Fuller Biddle Bingham McClelland Lothrop Hanscom Crary Peck Buel Chapman Harris Thurber Quackenboss Lovell Stout Shaw Mussey Cutcheon Read Warner Woodman Croswell Hoyt Rich Moffatt Howard Clark Markey Diekema Wachtel Tateum Gordon Adams Carton Master Whelan Campbell Baker Currie Smith Rice Read Warner Welsh Wells Gardner Ming Bradley Schroeder Nugent Knox Van Valkenburg Van Peursem Pears Green Kowalski Waldron Ryan Crim Owen Dodak Hertel Hillegonds Hertel Perricone Johnson DeRoche Dillon Bolger Cotter Leonard (designate)

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.