From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Matthew Quay
Matthew Quay
Matthew Stanley Quay Congress awarded him the Medal of Honor for gallantry
at the battle of Fredericksburg. From 1865–1867 he was
a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
From 1869, when he had served as secretary of the
Republican State Committee, until his death, he was the
most influential Republican politician in Pennsylvania.
He became Secretary of the Commonwealth for
1873–1878 and again in 1879–1882, recorder of Philadel-
phia in 1878–1879, and state treasurer in 1886–1887. He
became chairman of the Republican National Committee
in 1888, and was a member of the United States Senate
from 1887–1899, but he failed to succeed himself, partly
due to an accusation that he had been instrumental in
the misapplication of public funds deposited in the Peo-
ple’s Bank, in which he was interested.
United States Senator He was appointed a United States Senator ad interim
from Pennsylvania by the Governor, but the Senate refused to admit him.
In office He was nominated to succeed himself by the Republican
March 4, 1887 – March 4, 1899 State Convention in 1901 for the term to expire in 1905,
January 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904 and was re-elected.
Preceded by John I. Mitchell
Matthew Quay Scandal
Succeeded by Matthew Quay For nearly twenty years he dominated the government
Philander C. Knox
of Pennsylvania, and also played a very prominent part
Personal details in national affairs. In 1898 he was brought to trial on a
charge of misappropriating state funds, and, although he
Born September 30, 1833(1833-09-30)
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. was acquitted the following year, the feeling among the
reform element in his own party was so bitter against
Died May 28, 1904(1904-05-28) (aged 70) him that the legislature was deadlocked and his re-elec-
Beaver, Pennsylvania, U.S.
tion was postponed for two years.
Political party Republican
Profession Politician, Lawyer Timeline
• 1833: Born Dillsburg, York County, Pennsylvania;
Matthew Stanley Quay (September 30, 1833 – May 28,
educ. Beaver Academy.
1904) was an immensely powerful Pennsylvania political
• 1850: He graduated at Jefferson College; then studied
boss; "kingmaker" (Benjamin Harrison, 1888). "Boss"
law under Judge Sterret.
Quay’s political principles and actions stood in contrast
• 1851-53: Mississippi.
to an unusually attractive personality. He was a resident
• 1854: Admitted to Beaver County bar.
of Beaver, northwest of Pittsburgh; today, his house is a
• 1855: Beaver County, prothonotary; marries Agnes
National Historic Landmark.
Barclay.
• 1856: Beaver County, prothonotary.
Biography • 1859: Beaver County, prothonotary.
Quay was born in Dillsburg, York County, Pennsylvania, • 1861: 10th Pa. Reserves (Lt., Lt.-Col.).
the son of a preacher, Anderson Quay. He graduated at • 1862: Governor Andrew Curtin, private secretary.
Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College) • 1862: 134th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry,
in 1850 and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He served commissioned, Col. (August)
in various capacities in the American Civil War and • 1862: Leaves 134th Pennsylvania Regiment
Volunteers (health) (7 December)
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Matthew Quay
• 1862: Battle of Marye’s Heights (13 December) Although out of service, he voluntarily resumed
• 1864: Elected to Pa. state legislature. duty on the eve of battle and took a conspicuous
• 1865-1867 : Pa. state legislature. part in the charge on the heights.[1]
• 1869: Founds Beaver Radical
•
•
1873-78: Pa. state secretary.
1878-79: City of Philadelphia, Recorder. (resigned)
See also
• 1879-82: Pa. state secretary. (named January; • List of Medal of Honor recipients
resigned October) • List of American Civil War Medal of Honor
• 1886-87: Pa. state treasurer. recipients: Q–S
• 1887: Entered United States Senate.
• 1888: Republican National Committee, Chairman.
• 1892: Re-elected, U.S. Senate.
Notes
• 1898: Not re-elected; term expires 1899. [1] "QUAY, MATTHEW S. , Civil War Medal of Honor
• 1901: U.S. Senate recipient". American Civil War website. 2007-11-08.
• 1904; Death; buried in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. http://americancivilwar.com/
Quay County, New Mexico is named in his honor. medal_of_honor7.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
Matthew Quay appears on a 45p (£0.45) commemora-
tive stamp from the Isle of Man Post Office, as part of a References
series honoring Manx-Americans.
• Matthew Quay at the Biographical Directory of the
United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-07-03
Quotes • "Civil War Medal of Honor recipients (M-Z)". Medal of
After his narrow victory over Grover Cleveland in 1888, Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military
Benjamin Harrison told Quay that "Providence has given History. August 3, 2009.
us the victory." "Think of the man!" Quay indignantly http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/
told reporters in Philadelphia a few weeks later. "He civwarmz.html. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
ought to know that Providence hadn’t a damn thing to do • "Matthew Quay". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor
with it." Harrison, Quay added, would "never know how recipients. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/
close a number of men were compelled to approach the cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7203361. Retrieved
gates of the penitentiary to make him president." 2007-11-08.
Quay, not surprisingly, wasn’t nearly as thrilled to • This article incorporates text from a publication
work for Harrison’s re-election campaign in 1892, even now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed
referring to Harrison as the "White House iceberg" for (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge
his cool, unfriendly demeanor. When Harrison told Quay University Press.
that God had made him president, Quay snapped back, Persondata
"Then let God re-elect you," and stomped out. Name Quay, Matthew
Alternative
Medal of Honor citation names
Short descrip- United States Army Medal of Honor
tion recipient
Date of birth September 30, 1833
Place of birth Dillsburg, York County, Pennsylvania
Date of death May 28, 1904
Place of death Beaver, Pennsylvania
Rank and Organization:
Colonel, 134th Pennsylvania Infantry. Place and
date: At Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862.
Entered service at: Beaver County, Pa. Born:
September 30, 1833, Dilkburg, Pa. Date of issue: July
9, 1888.
Citation:
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Matthew Quay
United States Senate
Preceded by United States Senator (Class 1) from Pennsyl- Succeeded by
John I. Mitchell vania Matthew S. Quay
1887–1899
Cameron,
Served alongside: J. Donald Cameron , Boies Penrose
Preceded by United States Senator (Class 1) from Pennsyl- Succeeded by
Matthew S. Quay vania Philander C. Knox
1901–1904
Served alongside: Boies Penrose
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Republican National Com- Succeeded by
Benjamin F. Jones mittee James S. Clarkson
1888–1891
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Quay&oldid=461270920"
Categories:
• 1833 births
• 1904 deaths
• People from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania Republicans
• United States Senators from Pennsylvania
• Army Medal of Honor recipients
• Union Army officers
• Republican National Committee chairmen
• Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• State treasurers of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania lawyers
• Pennsylvania prothonotaries
• Washington & Jefferson College alumni
• People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
• Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• American political bosses from Pennsylvania
• Republican Party United States Senators
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