Member Biography

Daniel Sturgeon 

Member

Portrait: The Hon. Daniel Sturgeon, (Brady-Handy Collection, Library of Congress)

Sessions Office Position District Party
1826-1827       19 Democrat
1827-1828       19 Democrat
1828-1829     President of the Senate 19 Democrat
1829-1830     President of the Senate 19 Democrat

COUNTIES: Fayette  


Biography

10/27/1789 - 07/03/1878


Doctor Daniel Sturgeon (JD19) Fayette County 1826-1830

Early Life: 

Daniel Sturgeon, born October 27, 1789, Mount Pleasant, York (later Adams) County, Pennsylvania; attended, common schools; moved to western Pennsylvania, 1804; Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (later Washington and Jefferson College), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; commenced, practice of medicine, Uniontown, Pennsylvania; appointed, Fayette County Coroner, 1813; unsuccessful campaign, Auditor, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1815; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1818-1824; elected, Jackson Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1826-1830, President, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1828-1830; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania Auditor General 1830-1836; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Treasurer, 1838-1839; elected, Democrat, United States Senate, 1840-1851; appointed, President Franklin Pierce, Treasurer, United States Mint, Philadelphia, 1853-1858; engaged, banking; married Nancy Gregg Sturgeon, 1814, two sons, William H. Sturgeon, Eli Sturgeon; died July 3, 1878 (aged 88) Uniontown, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, interment Oak Grove Cemetery South Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Doctor.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Appointed, Fayette County Coroner, 1813.

Unsuccessful campaign, Auditor, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1815.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1818-1824.

Elected, Jackson Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 19th district, Fayette County, 1826-1830, President, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1828-1830.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Auditor General, 1830-1836.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Treasurer, 1836-1840.

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives Biography:

Not currently available. 

Continued Government Service/National Politics:

Elected, Democrat, United States Senator (Class 1) from Pennsylvania Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1839, caused by the failure of the legislature to elect; reelected in 1844 and served from January 14, 1840, to March 3, 1851; not a candidate for reelection; chairman, Committee on Patents and the Patent Office (Twenty-sixth Congress), Committee on Agriculture (Twenty-ninth through Thirty-first Congresses). Served alongside: James Buchanan, Simon Cameron and James Cooper.  

Pennsylvania ratified the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787, and elects its United States Senators to Class 1 and Class 3. Officeholders are popularly elected, for a six-year term, beginning January 3. Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Before 1914, they were chosen by the Pennsylvania General Assembly; before 1935, their terms began March 4.

Appointed, President Franklin Pierce, Treasurer, United States Mint, Philadelphia, 1853-1858.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Not available at this time

Cited:  

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

A New Nation Votes (tufts.edu) 

Daniel Sturgeon (1789-1878) - Find a Grave Memorial

Congressional Biography

After 4 session(s) serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Daniel Sturgeon  went on to serve in congress