William Strong

William Strong
Born	November 6, 1808
Birthplace	Somers, Connecticut, United States
Died	August 19, 1895 Lake Minnewaska, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Jurist, politician
Known for	Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1870–1880)
Education	Yale College (B.A.), Yale Law School

William Strong is a name shared by numerous notable individuals across American history, spanning the fields of law, politics, military service, urban governance, and academia. The name is most prominently associated with William Strong (1808–1895), who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1870 to 1880, having previously been a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania and a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Other notable bearers of the name include William Lafayette Strong (1827–1900), who served as the 90th Mayor of New York City; William Barstow Strong (1837–1914), an influential American railroad executive; several military officers who served during the American Civil War; and William Duncan Strong (1899–1962), an anthropologist and archaeologist who contributed to the understanding of pre-Columbian cultures. This article provides an overview of the most notable individuals who bore this name, with particular emphasis on those whose careers left documented imprints on American public life. The name also continues to appear in contemporary contexts, including a 2025 honor bestowed upon an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper named William Strong, who was named Trooper of the Year for the Portsmouth Post.

William Strong (Pennsylvania Jurist, 1808–1895)

Early Life and Education

William Strong was born on November 6, 1808, in Somers, Connecticut. He demonstrated early academic aptitude and pursued higher education at Yale College, where he graduated with honors. He subsequently attended Yale Law School, completing his legal training and preparing for what would become one of the most distinguished judicial careers of the nineteenth century. After completing his education, Strong relocated to Pennsylvania, where he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Reading, Berks County.

Congressional Career

Before ascending to the judiciary, Strong served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania. His congressional service provided him with experience in federal governance and legislative processes that would later inform his approach to constitutional interpretation on the bench. During his time in Congress, Strong engaged with the significant legislative questions of the antebellum and Civil War periods, gaining a reputation as a capable and principled legislator.

Judicial Career

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Strong served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, where he built a reputation for careful legal reasoning and thorough judicial opinions. His tenure on the state's highest court established him as one of the leading jurists in the commonwealth and brought him to the attention of national political figures who would later advocate for his elevation to the federal bench.

Supreme Court of the United States

In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant nominated William Strong to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. His appointment came during the turbulent Reconstruction era, a period in which the Court faced numerous cases involving the interpretation of the recently ratified Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Strong's nomination was linked to the controversial Legal Tender Cases, in which the Court initially ruled that the federal government's issuance of paper currency (greenbacks) during the Civil War was unconstitutional. Following Strong's confirmation, the Court reversed this decision, upholding the constitutionality of legal tender laws.

Strong served on the Supreme Court for a decade, retiring in 1880. During his tenure, he participated in decisions that shaped post-Civil War constitutional law, particularly in areas related to federal power, civil rights, and the scope of the Reconstruction Amendments. His retirement was notable in that he voluntarily stepped down from the bench while still in good health, a decision that was relatively uncommon for Supreme Court justices of the era. He advocated for a mandatory retirement age for federal judges, a position that would not gain broad institutional support until well into the twentieth century.

Strong died on August 19, 1895, at Lake Minnewaska, New York.

William Lafayette Strong (1827–1900)

Background and Business Career

William Lafayette Strong was born in 1827 and rose to prominence as a businessman in New York City before entering public life. He built a successful career in banking and commerce, establishing himself as a respected figure in the city's financial community. His business acumen and reputation for integrity attracted the attention of reform-minded citizens who sought to challenge the entrenched political machine that dominated New York City government in the late nineteenth century.

Mayoralty of New York City

William Lafayette Strong served as the 90th Mayor of New York City. His election represented a significant reform movement aimed at combating the corruption associated with Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that had long wielded considerable influence over the city's governance. Strong ran as a reform candidate, drawing support from a coalition of civic organizations, business leaders, and anti-corruption advocates who were dissatisfied with the patronage system and graft that characterized Tammany-influenced administrations.

As mayor, Strong pursued an agenda focused on municipal reform, improved public services, and the professionalization of city government. One of his most consequential appointments was the selection of Theodore Roosevelt as President of the New York City Board of Police Commissioners. Roosevelt used this position to implement significant reforms within the police department, including efforts to combat corruption and improve the professionalism of the force. This appointment helped launch Roosevelt's national political career, which would ultimately lead to the presidency of the United States.

Strong's tenure as mayor lasted a single term, and he faced considerable opposition from Tammany Hall and its allies throughout his administration. Despite these challenges, his time in office is remembered as a period of meaningful, if temporary, reform in New York City's municipal governance. He died in 1900.

William Barstow Strong (1837–1914)

Railroad Career

William Barstow Strong was born in 1837 and became one of the most significant railroad executives of the American Gilded Age. He is most closely associated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, one of the major railroad systems that connected the American Midwest and West during the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Strong served as president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway during a critical period of expansion for the railroad. Under his leadership, the railroad extended its network significantly, reaching new markets and establishing routes that would prove essential to the economic development of the western United States. The expansion of the Santa Fe Railway under Strong's direction brought the railroad into competition with other major lines, including the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, leading to intense rivalries that sometimes erupted into physical confrontations between the competing companies' workers and agents.

Strong's tenure as president of the Santa Fe was characterized by aggressive expansion strategies, including the extension of lines into California, which gave the railroad access to Pacific Coast markets. This expansion was instrumental in transforming the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe from a regional carrier into one of the nation's preeminent railroad systems. Strong died in 1914, leaving behind a legacy closely intertwined with the development of American railroad infrastructure in the West.

Military Figures

William Emerson Strong (1840–1891)

William Emerson Strong was born in 1840 and served as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. He participated in the Union war effort and achieved the rank of brigadier general, contributing to military operations during one of the most consequential conflicts in American history. Strong's military service was recognized through his promotion to general officer rank, reflecting his contributions to the Union cause. He died in 1891.

William Kerley Strong (1805–1867)

William Kerley Strong was born in 1805 and also served as a brigadier general during the American Civil War. Like William Emerson Strong, he served in the Union Army and achieved general officer rank. His military career spanned a period of intense national conflict, and his service contributed to the preservation of the Union. He died in 1867, just two years after the conclusion of the war.

William Duncan Strong (1899–1962)

Academic Career

William Duncan Strong was born in 1899 and became a notable American archaeologist and anthropologist whose work contributed to the understanding of pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas. Strong conducted fieldwork and research that advanced archaeological methodology and expanded knowledge of ancient civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. His contributions to anthropology and archaeology were recognized within the academic community, and his work influenced subsequent generations of scholars studying the indigenous peoples of the Americas. He died in 1962.

Other Notable Individuals Named William Strong

William Strong (Vermont Politician, 1763–1840)

William Strong of Vermont was born in 1763 and served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont. His congressional service contributed to the governance of the early American republic during a period of significant national development and expansion. He died in 1840.

William Strong (Oregon Judge, 1817–1887)

William Strong served as a judge on both the Oregon Supreme Court and the Washington Supreme Court. Born in 1817, he held judicial positions in the Pacific Northwest during a period of territorial governance and early statehood. His service on the supreme courts of two states (or territories) reflected his prominence within the legal community of the region. He died in 1887.

William Strong (Kentucky Politician, born 1943)

William Strong, born in 1943, served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. His career in state-level politics contributed to the legislative governance of Kentucky.

William G. Strong (1819–?)

William G. Strong was born in 1819 and was a merchant and political figure in Prince Edward Island, contributing to the commercial and political life of the Canadian province.

William Strong (English Clergyman, died 1654)

William Strong was an English clergyman who died in 1654. He served as a priest during a period of significant religious and political upheaval in England, including the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell.

William Strong (Archdeacon of Northampton, 1756–1842)

William Strong served as the Archdeacon of Northampton. Born in 1756, he held this ecclesiastical position within the Church of England and died in 1842.

Contemporary References

The name William Strong continues to appear in contemporary public life. In November 2025, the Ohio State Highway Patrol honored a trooper named William Strong of the Portsmouth Post as the 2025 Trooper of the Year. According to the Chillicothe Gazette, Strong was recognized for his leadership and professionalism in carrying out his duties as a state trooper. This recognition highlights the continued presence of the name in American civic life, though this individual has no known connection to the historical figures discussed in this article.

Legacy

Among the various individuals bearing the name William Strong, the Pennsylvania jurist who served on the United States Supreme Court left the most significant imprint on American legal history. His participation in the Legal Tender Cases and other Reconstruction-era decisions shaped constitutional law during a transformative period. His advocacy for judicial retirement reform, while not immediately adopted, anticipated debates that would recur throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries regarding the tenure of federal judges and Supreme Court justices.

William Lafayette Strong's reform mayoralty of New York City, though lasting only a single term, contributed to the broader Progressive Era movement that sought to combat political corruption and improve the quality of urban governance. His appointment of Theodore Roosevelt to the police commission had far-reaching consequences that extended well beyond the boundaries of New York City.

William Barstow Strong's leadership of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway left a tangible legacy in the form of railroad infrastructure that continued to serve the American economy for more than a century after his tenure. The routes he helped establish remained central to freight and passenger transportation in the western United States.

The military contributions of William Emerson Strong and William Kerley Strong during the Civil War, the judicial service of William Strong in Oregon and Washington, the archaeological work of William Duncan Strong, and the legislative service of William Strong in Vermont collectively illustrate the breadth of contributions made by individuals bearing this name across multiple centuries and fields of endeavor.