William Dennison (Ohio governor)
William Dennison, Jr. (November 23, 1815 - June 15, 1882) was a Whig and Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 24th Governor of Ohio.
Dennison was one of the first major Ohio politicians to leave the dying Whig Party for the new Republican Party. He rose quickly through the party ranks, well-known due to his anti-slavery and anti-discrimination efforts in the Ohio State Senate. Dennison was elected to the governorship, serving a single term from 1860 to 1862. He became unpopular after the Civil War began, and his dictatorial policies, intended to keep the state peaceable, along with mistakes by subordinates, led to the Republican Party dropping him in 1862 in favor of David Tod, a Democrat until shortly beforehand. Dennison served as U.S. Postmaster General from 1864-1866. He remained active in state and national politics until his death.
