History of Middletown, (Dauphin County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Biographies:

James Donald Cameron Biography

James Donald Cameron, statesman, was born at Middletown, Dauphin county, Pa., May 14, 1833; son of Simon and Margaretta Cameron. He was graduated at Princeton in 1852, and entering the Middletown bank as clerk, soon became cashier, and ultimately president of the institution. He was president of the Northern central railroad company from 1863 to 1874, and in this capacity rendered effective service to the Union cause during the civil war. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago in 1868, to that at Cincinnati in 1876, to that at Chicago in 1880, and he was chairman of the Republican national committee in the latter year. From May, 1876, to March, 1877, he was secretary of war in President Grant's cabinet, and was then elected to the seat in the United States senate made vacant by the resignation of his father. He was re-elected for a full term in 1879, in 1885, and in 1891, the last term expiring in March, 1897, when he was succeeded by Boies Penrose.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor