# Nathan Goff Jr. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nathan_Goff_Jr. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nathan_Goff_Jr..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Goff_Jr. > Source revision: 1348210118 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American judge}} {{about|the Civil War major and U.S. representative|the Civil War general|Nathan Goff Jr. (general)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = | honorific_suffix = | image = Nathan Goff, Jr. - Brady-Handy.jpg | alt = | caption = | jr/sr = United States Senator | state = [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) | term_start = April 1, 1913 | term_end = March 3, 1919 | predecessor = [Clarence Wayland Watson](/source/Clarence_Wayland_Watson) | successor = [Davis Elkins](/source/Davis_Elkins) | office1 = Judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit) | term_start1 = March 17, 1892 | term_end1 = March 31, 1913 | nominator1 = | appointer1 = [Benjamin Harrison](/source/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Benjamin_Harrison) | predecessor1 = ''Seat established by 26 Stat. 826'' | successor1 = [Charles Albert Woods](/source/Charles_Albert_Woods) | office2 = Judge of the [United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_circuit_court) | term_start2 = March 17, 1892 | term_end2 = December 31, 1911 | nominator2 = | appointer2 = [Benjamin Harrison](/source/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Benjamin_Harrison) | predecessor2 = ''Seat established by 26 Stat. 826'' | successor2 = ''Seat abolished'' | state3 = [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) | district3 = {{ushr|WV|1|1st}} | term_start3 = March 4, 1883 | term_end3 = March 3, 1889 | predecessor3 = [Benjamin Wilson](/source/Benjamin_Wilson_(congressman)) | successor3 = [John O. Pendleton](/source/John_O._Pendleton) | office4 = 28th [United States Secretary of the Navy](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_the_Navy) | term_start4 = January 7, 1881 | term_end4 = March 4, 1881 | president4 = [Rutherford B. Hayes](/source/Rutherford_B._Hayes) | predecessor4 = [Richard W. Thompson](/source/Richard_W._Thompson) | successor4 = [William H. Hunt](/source/William_H._Hunt) | pronunciation = | birth_name = Nathan Goff Jr. | birth_date = {{Birth date|1843|02|09}} | birth_place = [Clarksburg](/source/Clarksburg%2C_West_Virginia), [Virginia](/source/Virginia) (now [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia)), U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1920|04|24|1843|02|09}} | death_place = [Clarksburg](/source/Clarksburg%2C_West_Virginia), West Virginia, U.S. | death_cause = | resting_place = Odd Fellows Cemetery
Clarksburg, West Virginia | resting_place_coordinates = | citizenship = | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) | other_party = | height = | spouse = | partner = | relations = | children = [Guy D. Goff](/source/Guy_D._Goff) | parents = | mother = | relatives = [Louise Goff Reece](/source/Louise_Goff_Reece) (granddaughter) | education = | alma_mater = [New York University School of Law](/source/New_York_University_School_of_Law) ([LLB](/source/Bachelor_of_Laws)) | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | salary = | net_worth = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = | branch = {{flagicon|United States|1861}} [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) | service_years = 1861–around 1864 | unit = [3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment](/source/3rd_West_Virginia_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment)
[4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment](/source/4th_Regiment_West_Virginia_Cavalry) | rank = 35px [Major](/source/Major_(United_States)) | battles = [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War) }} '''Nathan Goff Jr.''' (February 9, 1843 – April 23, 1920) was a [United States representative](/source/United_States_representative) from [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia), a [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) officer, the 28th [United States Secretary of the Navy](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_the_Navy) during the administration of President [Rutherford B. Hayes](/source/Rutherford_B._Hayes), a [United States circuit judge](/source/United_States_federal_judge) of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit) and of the [United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_circuit_court) and a [United States senator](/source/United_States_senator) from West Virginia. ==Early life and education== Born on February 9, 1843, at his family's estate [Waldomore](/source/Waldomore) in [Clarksburg](/source/Clarksburg%2C_West_Virginia), [Harrison County](/source/Harrison_County%2C_West_Virginia), [Virginia](/source/Virginia) (now [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia)),{{FJC Bio|874|nid=1381316|name=Nathan Goff}} to Waldo Goff, who had five times won election to represent Harrison County in the Virginia House of Delegates. Goff attended the Northwestern Academy in Clarksburg and [Georgetown University](/source/Georgetown_University) in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.){{CongBio|G000255|inline=yes}} He received a [Bachelor of Laws](/source/Bachelor_of_Laws) in 1866 from [New York University School of Law](/source/New_York_University_School_of_Law). ==American Civil War== Although his family owned several slaves, they favored the Union. During the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), Goff joined the [Union Army](/source/Union_Army) in 1861; enlisting in the [3rd West Virginia Infantry Regiment](/source/3rd_West_Virginia_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment). He later became a major in the [4th West Virginia Cavalry Regiment](/source/4th_Regiment_West_Virginia_Cavalry). ==Postwar career== Goff became editor of the ''Clarksburg Telegraph'' beginning in 1866. Admitted to the bar, he began his private legal practice in Clarksburg from 1866 to 1867. He won election to the [West Virginia House of Delegates](/source/West_Virginia_House_of_Delegates) from 1867 to 1868. Goff then became the [United States Attorney](/source/United_States_Attorney) for the District of West Virginia from 1868 to 1881, and from 1881 to 1882. He served as the 28th [United States Secretary of the Navy](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_the_Navy) in 1881. However, Goff failed to win election to Congress as a Republican candidate in 1870 and 1874. He was also the Republican candidate for [Governor of West Virginia](/source/Governor_of_West_Virginia) in 1876 and 1888, but voters instead elected the Democrat. == United States representative == Goff was elected as a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) from [West Virginia's 1st congressional district](/source/West_Virginia's_1st_congressional_district) to the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) of the [48th](/source/48th_United_States_Congress), [49th](/source/49th_United_States_Congress) and [50th United States Congress](/source/50th_United_States_Congress)es, serving from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1889. He was not a candidate for renomination. Following his departure from Congress, Goff resumed private practice in Clarksburg from 1889 to 1892. ==Federal judicial service== Goff was nominated by President [Benjamin Harrison](/source/Benjamin_Harrison) on December 16, 1891, to the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit) and the [United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_circuit_court), to a new joint seat authorized by 26 Stat. 826. He was confirmed by the [United States Senate](/source/United_States_Senate) on March 17, 1892, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. His service terminated on March 31, 1913, due to his resignation. == United States senator == In 1913, Goff was nominated for the [United States Senate](/source/United_States_Senate) by state delegate [Roy Earl Parrish](/source/Roy_Earl_Parrish). He was elected by the state legislature over Democrat [Clarence W. Watson](/source/Clarence_W._Watson), receiving 60 votes to Watson's 43.{{Cite news |date=1913-02-21 |title=Judge Goff is Elected United States Senator |pages=1 |work=The Fairmont West Virginian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fairmont-west-virginian-judge-goff-i/128430831/ |access-date=2023-07-21}} Though his Senate term commenced March 4, 1913, he did not immediately take his seat, preferring to remain on the federal bench, and served from April 1, 1913, to March 3, 1919. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1918, the first time under the [Seventeenth Amendment](/source/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) that the seat was filled by popular vote. He was Chairman of the Committee on Conservation of Natural Resources for the [65th United States Congress](/source/65th_United_States_Congress) and Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Expositions for the 65th United States Congress. ==Death== Goff died on April 23, 1920, in Clarksburg. He was interred in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Clarksburg. He was the last surviving member of the Hayes Cabinet. ==Family== Goff was the father of West Virginia [United States Senator](/source/United_States_Senator) [Guy D. Goff](/source/Guy_D._Goff) and grandfather of [United States Representative](/source/United_States_Representative) from [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) [Louise Goff Reece](/source/Louise_Goff_Reece). ==Home== Goff's home at Clarksburg, the [Nathan Goff Jr. House](/source/Nathan_Goff_Jr._House), was listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places) in 1976. It was delisted in 1994, after demolition in 1993.{{NRISref|version=2010a}} ==Namesake== The [World War II](/source/World_War_II) [destroyer](/source/destroyer) {{USS|Goff|DD-247|6}} was named in his honor.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Sources== * {{Bioguide}} {{CongBio|G000255}} * {{FJC Bio|874|nid=1381316|name=Nathan Goff}} * {{cite book | last=McKinney | first=Gordon | title=Southern mountain Republicans, 1865-1900 : politics and the Appalachian community | publisher=University of North Carolina Press | location=Chapel Hill | year=1978 | isbn=0-8078-1300-1 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/southernmountain0000mcki }} * {{cite web | last=Smith | first=G. Wayne | url=http://www.wvculture.org/history/journal_wvh/wvh14-1.html |title=Nathan Goff, Jr., In the Civil War* | year=1953|access-date=4 July 2017}} ==External links== The [West Virginia & Regional History Center](/source/West_Virginia_%26_Regional_History_Center) at [West Virginia University](/source/West_Virginia_University) houses the papers of Nathan Goff Jr. in three collections, [https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/2618 A&M 213], [https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/4003 A&M 953], and [https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/5658 A&M 1940] {{Portal|American Civil War}} * [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g6/goff.htm ''USS Goff'' (DD-247), ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410064207/http://history.navy.mil/danfs/g6/goff.htm |date=2005-04-10 }} Naval Historical Center. Accessed March 24, 2024. {{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[John J. Jacob](/source/John_J._Jacob_(West_Virginia_politician))}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|[Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [Governor of West Virginia](/source/List_of_Governors_of_West_Virginia)}}|years=[1876](/source/1876_West_Virginia_gubernatorial_election)}} {{s-aft|after=[George Cookman Sturgiss](/source/George_Cookman_Sturgiss)}} {{s-bef|before=[Edwin Maxwell](/source/Edwin_Maxwell_(attorney_general))}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|[Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [Governor of West Virginia](/source/List_of_Governors_of_West_Virginia)}}|years=[1888](/source/1888_West_Virginia_gubernatorial_election)}} {{s-aft|after=[Thomas Davis](/source/Thomas_Davis_(West_Virginia_politician))}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[Richard W. Thompson](/source/Richard_W._Thompson)}} {{s-ttl|title=28th [United States Secretary of the Navy](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_the_Navy)|years=1881}} {{s-aft|after=[William H. Hunt](/source/William_H._Hunt)}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=[Benjamin Wilson](/source/Benjamin_Wilson_(congressman))}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|[United States Representative](/source/List_of_United_States_representatives_from_West_Virginia) from [West Virginia's 1st congressional district](/source/West_Virginia's_1st_congressional_district)}}|years=1883–1889}} {{s-aft|after=[John O. Pendleton](/source/John_O._Pendleton)}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|rows=2|before=Seat established by 26 Stat. 826}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the [United States Circuit Courts for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_circuit_court)}}|years=1892–1911}} {{s-aft|after=Seat abolished}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit](/source/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Fourth_Circuit)}}|years=1892–1913}} {{s-aft|after=[Charles Albert Woods](/source/Charles_Albert_Woods)}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{s-bef|before=[Clarence Wayland Watson](/source/Clarence_Wayland_Watson)}} {{s-ttl|title=[United States Senator (Class 2) from West Virginia](/source/List_of_United_States_senators_from_West_Virginia)|years=1913–1919|alongside=[William E. Chilton](/source/William_E._Chilton), [Howard Sutherland](/source/Howard_Sutherland)}} {{s-aft|after=[Davis Elkins](/source/Davis_Elkins)}} {{s-end}} {{USSecNavy}} {{USSenWV}} {{WestVirginiaUSRepresentatives}} {{Hayes cabinet}} {{USCongRep-start | congresses= 48th–50th and 63rd–65th [United States Congress](/source/United_States_Congress) | state= [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia's_congressional_delegations)}} {{USCongRep/WV/48}} {{USCongRep/WV/49}} {{USCongRep/WV/50}} {{USCongRep/Line}} {{USCongRep/WV/63}} {{USCongRep/WV/64}} {{USCongRep/WV/65}} {{USCongRep-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Goff, Nathan, Jr.}} Category:1843 births Category:1920 deaths Category:Politicians from Clarksburg, West Virginia Category:United States secretaries of the navy Category:Hayes administration cabinet members Category:Republican Party United States representatives from West Virginia Category:Republican Party United States senators from West Virginia Category:Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Category:United States attorneys for the District of West Virginia Category:United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison Category:19th-century American lawyers Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:West Virginia lawyers Category:People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Category:Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Category:Military personnel from Clarksburg, West Virginia Category:Union army officers Category:Lawyers from Clarksburg, West Virginia Category:20th-century West Virginia politicians Category:20th-century United States senators Category:19th-century United States representatives Category:19th-century members of the West Virginia Legislature --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nathan Goff Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Goff_Jr.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Goff_Jr.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.