George M. Robeson

George Maxwell Robeson was an American Republican Party politician, lawyer from New Jersey, Union army general during the American Civil War, Secretary of the Navy appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant serving from 1869 to 1877, and U.S. Representative for New Jersey serving from 1879 to 1883. Robesons tenure as Secretary of Navy, lasting aboutand a half years, was second in time in office length only to that of Gideon Welles during the 19th Century. Robeson was known to be a hot tempered industrious administrator and through his departmental leadership was able to contain the established Naval officer hierarchy. Having limited Congressional funding, Robeson supported and developed the early stages of submarine and torpedo technology in keeping U.S. harbors safe from foreign attack and secured 50,000 in Congressional funding for the 1871 Polaris expedition led by Capt. C. F. Hall. Robeson headed the investigation concerning the controversial death of Capt. Hall after the return o

George M. Robeson was born on March 16, 1829 in Oxford Furnace, New Jersey, near Belvidere in Warren County. His father was Philadelphia Judge William P. Robeson and his mother was the daughter of U.S. Congressman George C. Maxwell, who served in the 12th U.S. Congress from 1811 to 1813 representing Hunterdon, New Jersey. Robesons family was of Scottish origin and he was a descendant of Andrew Robeson, the surveyorgeneral of New Jersey in 1668. Robeson was the nephew of U.S. Congressman John Patterson Bryan Maxwell. Robeson gained a scholarly reputation by having graduated from Princeton University at the early age ofin 1847. Upon graduation, Robeson studied law in Newark in Chief Justice Hornblowers law office. Robeson graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1850. Robeson was admitted as a legal counselor in 1854. Robeson initially set up his law practice in Newark, but then moved his practice to Jersey City. In 1858, Robeson was appointed public prosecutor for Camden County.

Source: Wikipedia