Newell, William A. (Congressman)

Born: 1817-09-05 Franklin, Ohio

Died: 1901-08-08 Allentown, New Jersey

Born in Franklin, Ohio while his parents were visiting, Newell was raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey and attended school there. He graduated from Rutgers College in 1836 and from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1839. He then started a medical practice in Allentown. Around 1837, Newell married Joanna Van Deursen and they had three children. In 1846, Newell won election, as a Whig, to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1847-1851. He was governor of New Jersey in 1857-1860. Newell served as surgeon to superintend the drafting process of Monmouth County Militia in 1862. In 1864, Newell was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Baltimore. In 1864, Newell won election, as a Republican, to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1865-1867.

Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1961 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1961), 1385; Gravestone, Allentown Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Allentown, NJ; Lex Renda, "Newell, William Augustus," American National Biography, ed. by John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 16:339-40.