Maryland
Gov. Thomas George Pratt
- January 6, 1845 - January 3, 1848
- Whig; Democratic
- February 18, 1804
- November 9, 1869
- Virginia
- Georgetown College; Princeton University
- Married Adelaide MacKubin Kent; six children
- Senator
About
THOMAS G. PRATT was born in Washington, D.C. on February 18, 1804. His education was attained at Georgetown College in Washington, D.C., and at Princeton University, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1823, and then went on to establish his legal career in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Pratt entered politics in 1832, serving as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, a position he held for four years. He also served as a Whig presidential elector in 1836, was president of the Governor’s Executive Council in 1838, and served as a member of the Maryland State Senate from 1838 to 1841. Pratt was elected governor of Maryland by a popular vote on October 4, 1844. He was sworn into office on January 6, 1845. During his tenure, the governor’s and the secretary of state’s salaries were reduced, and legislative sessions were changed from annual sessions to biennial. Also, the Mexican War had started, and provisions and troops were organized. After completing his term, Pratt left office on January 3, 1848. He later served as a member of the U.S. Senate from 1850 to 1857, and was a delegate to the 1864 Democratic National Convention, as well as serving as a delegate to the 1866 Union Convention in Philadelphia. Governor Thomas G. Pratt passed away on November 9, 1869, and was buried at the St. Anne’s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland.
Source
Eisenberg, Gerson G. Marylanders Who Served the Nation. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives, 1992.
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.
White, Frank F., Jr. The Governors of Maryland, 1777-1972. Annapolis, MD: Hall of Records Commission, 1970.
