Emory Washburn

Infobox Governor
name= Emory Washburn


imagesize=150px
caption=
order=22nd
office= Governor of Massachusetts
term_start= January 12, 1854
term_end= January 4, 1855
lieutenant= William C. Plunkett
predecessor= John H. Clifford
successor= Henry J. Gardner
birth_date= birth date|1800|2|14|mf=y
birth_place= Leicester, Massachusetts
death_date= death date and age|1877|3|18|1800|2|14|mf=y
death_place= Cambridge, Massachusetts
spouse=
religion=
profession=
party= Whig
footnotes=

Emory Washburn (February 14, 1800–March 18, 1877) was a United States political figure. Born in 1800 in Leicester, Massachusetts, Washburn was the Governor of Massachusetts from 1854 to 1855. He was elected as a member of the United States Whig Party defeating Henry W. Bishop (Democrat) and Henry Wilson (Free Soil) with 46% of the vote. A majority requirement being in effect, he became the last governor elected by the state senate in this fashion; as well as the last Whig. In his attempt at re-election in November 1854, he fell victim to the Know Nothing wave in Massachusetts and was soundly trounced by the Know Nothing candidate, former Websterite Whig Henry J. Gardner, receiving only 21% of the vote.

Along with distant cousin Ichabod Washburn, he helped found Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He died in 1877 aged 77 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.

External links

* [http://www.mass.gov/statehouse/massgovs/ewashburn.htm Official Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Biography]