Biography

02/05/1820 - 06/09/1900

Francis Jordan (W14) Bedford and Somerset Counties 1855-1857

Early Life: 

Francis Jordan, born February 5, 1820, Bedford County, Pennsylvania; educated, Augusta College, Kentucky; Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; studied law, admitted, Bedford Bar; legal practice, judge and State Senator Alexander King; district attorney, two terms; President Judge, Bedford County; elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1855-1857; delegate, Chicago Republican National Convention, 1860; presidential appointment, paymaster, staff Quartermaster, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, United States Army, Civil War, 1861-1863; gubernatorial appointment, Governor Andrew G. Curtain, Military Agent, Pennsylvania interests, State of Washington chairman, Republican State Central Committee, 1866-1872; Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1867-1873; Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1882-1883; private law practice, brother in law, State Senator Louis W. Hall; law practice, Hall and Jordan, Harrisburg; counsel, Pennsylvania Railroad; president, Pennsylvania Telephone Company; married Louisa Farquhar and, children, William F., Alice; married, Mary Hall; died, June 9, 1900, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. No other available. 

Early Career:

District attorney, two terms; President Judge, Bedford County. 

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg. 

Pennsylvania Politics: 

Elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 14th district, Bedford and Somerset Counties, 1855-1857; chair, Reapportionment, Judiciary Committees; authored, Sale of the Public Works legislation, 1855.

Declined, appointment, Attorney General, Governor William F. Packer; reason complications attending it. 

Delegate, Chicago Republican National Convention, 1860.

Appointed, President Abraham Lincoln, United States Army Paymaster, served, staff Quartermaster, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, 1861-1863.

Appointed, Governor Andrew G. Curtain, Military Agent, Pennsylvania interests, State of Washington. 

Chairman, Republican State Central Committee, 1866-1872. 

Appointed, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Governor John W. Geary, 1867-1873. 

Appointed, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Governor Henry M. Hoyt, 1882-1883, filling the resignation, Matthew Stanley Quay.  

Appointed, Governor James A. Beaver, member State Board of Charities. 

Legacy: 

Wife, Louisa Farquharand, adopted daughter of Pennsylvania State Treasurer, member of Congress, Job Mann; second wife, Mary Hall, lineal descendant, John Harris, founder of Harrisburg; also, sister of Pennsylvania State Senator Lewis W. Hall, esquire, also his law partner. 

Lewis Hall, Pennsylvania State Senate, 20th district, 1861-1862, Speaker of the Senate, extra session, 1861-1862; 21st district, Blair, Cambria and Clearfield Counties, 1863-1867; Speaker of the Senate, 1964, 1866, 1867. 

Louis Williams Hall  - Pennsylvania Senate Library (pasen.gov)

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members "J"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Saturday June 09, 1900, Page 1.