William E. Chandler
William E. Chandler | |
|---|---|
Chandler c. 1891–1894 | |
| United States Senator from New Hampshire | |
| In office June 14, 1887 – March 3, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | Person Cheney |
| Succeeded by | Gilman Marston |
| In office June 18, 1889 – March 3, 1901 | |
| Preceded by | Gilman Marston |
| Succeeded by | Henry E. Burnham |
| 30th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office April 16, 1882 – March 4, 1885 | |
| President | Chester A. Arthur |
| Preceded by | William H. Hunt |
| Succeeded by | William Whitney |
| Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives | |
| In office 1863–1865 | |
| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives | |
| In office 1862–1865 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Eaton Chandler December 28, 1835 Concord, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | November 30, 1917 (aged 81) Concord, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Ann Gilmore
(m. 1859; died 1871) |
| Children | Lloyd H. Chandler |
| Education | Harvard University (LLB) |
| Signature | |
William Eaton Chandler (December 28, 1835 – November 30, 1917), also known as Bill Chandler, was a lawyer who served as United States Secretary of the Navy and as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire. In the 1880s, he was a member of the Republican "Half-Breed" faction, the wing of the party which advocated civil service reform. His credentials were established as moderate in comparison to most of the Republican Party, particularly in his opposition towards sound money.
Chandler, who continued to advocate civil rights following the end of Reconstruction, criticized the policies of President Rutherford B. Hayes, whose actions pertaining to the South he viewed as too lenient. Chandler started the U.S. Naval resurgence and the precedent of the U.S. Navy being constructed with modern steel ships.