Governor Henry Bowen Anthony

A native of Coventry, Rhode Island, HENRY BOWEN ANTHONY graduated from Brown University at the age of eighteen. Several years later he became editor of the Providence Journal, ultimately acquiring an interest in the publication, which reflected his law and order views during the Dorr Rebellion. [Robert Dorr and his supporters sought to extend suffrage beyond the propertied class.] During Anthony’s two terms as governor, the state made its first appropriation for teachers. In addition, plans were begun to establish a reform school in Providence, and a more efficient system was developed for the registration of vital statistics. Anthony declined to run for a third term on the ground that gubernatorial powers were limited by the state legislature. He returned to his editorial work and was later elected to six terms in the U.S. Senate. Known as the “Father of the Senate,” he served as President Pro Tempore for a number of years. He also chaired the Committee on Public Printing and played a principal role in establishing the U.S. Government Printing Office.