Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Former government of Pennsylvania

The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the collective directorial executive branch of the Pennsylvanian state government between 1777 and 1790. It was headed by a president and a vice president (analogous to a governor and lieutenant governor, respectively). The best known member of the Council was Benjamin Franklin, who also served as its sixth president.

The 1776 Constitution stipulated that the Council meet at the same time and location as the General Assembly. In practice, the Council sat year round: there was no formal cycle of sessions (e. g. 110th United States Congress) and no specific date for the start of term of councilors or council officers. The Supreme Executive Council formally convened March 4, 1777. The first president and vice president were elected the following day. The Council sat in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall. It met in what had been the Governor's Council Chamber during British rule. The Executive Council, along with the General Assembly, moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, ahead of the British occupation of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777—the last meeting in Philadelphia took place on September 23 and the first in Lancaster on October 1. The Council returned to Philadelphia June 26, 1778. The Council was replaced by a single governor on December 21, 1790.

Seven men served as president of the Supreme Executive Council. (One, George Bryan, was never elected to the position, but today is considered by the Commonwealth to have been a full fledged governor of Pennsylvania, perhaps due to the length of his term as acting president.) Several figure prominently in the history of Pennsylvania, but none more so than Dr. Benjamin Franklin. His presidency was one of his last acts of public service, and he died less than two years after leaving office. Franklin was also the longest serving president, having held the office for slightly over three years. There is some question about the de facto end of his term, suggesting that the aging Franklin was not actively involved in affairs of state toward the end of his presidency. (This is certainly not a consensus view, as other sources report that all actions of the Council during his term had Franklin's approval, even if that meant convening the Council at Franklin's home.) The shortest term was that of George Bryan, who served as acting president for just over six months. Although these men may be referred to properly as Presidents of Pennsylvania their office is analogous to the modern office of governor, and they are often included in lists of those who have held the latter title. Presidents and vice presidents were styled His Excellency. President Start of term End of term NotesThomas Wharton Jr. March 5, 1777 May 23, 1778 died in officeGeorge Bryan May 23, 1778 December 1, 1778 Acting President upon death of WhartonJoseph Reed December 1, 1778 November 15, 1781 William Moore November 15, 1781 November 7, 1782 John Dickinson November 7, 1782 October 18, 1785 previously President of Delaware; he did not formally relinquish that title until January 12, 1783Benjamin Franklin October 18, 1785 November 5, 1788Thomas Mifflin November 5, 1788 December 21, 1790 became first governor of Pennsylvania under 1790 Constitution

The neighborhood of South Philadelphia contains a series of east west streets named in honor of Pennsylvania's presidents and early governors. Moving south on South 25th Street are Wharton, Reed and Dickinson Streets. (Bryan, never officially elected to the office, is omitted.) Moore Street, out of sequence, follows after two intervening streets (Tasker and Morris). There is no Franklin Street in the immediate neighborhood, probably because there already was a North Franklin Street on the west side of Franklin Square, these being two of the numerous memorials to Franklin already in Philadelphia. Moore is followed by Mifflin Street, McKean Street, and Snyder Street (the latter being Pennsylvania's second and third governors under the 1790 Constitution). Wharton Street borders Wharton Square Park, although it is not clear if the park is named after Thomas Wharton or another member of his prominent family. Dickinson College and the Dickinson School of Law, both in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, were named after John Dickinson.

Similarly, the office of Vice President of Pennsylvania is analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor. Of the ten men who held the office, two succeeded to the presidency (the first—Bryan—de facto, the second—Moore—de jure). The longest vice presidential term was that of George Bryan; he served over two and a half years, although he also served as de facto acting president for six months concurrent with his vice presidential term. The shortest term was that of Matthew Smith, who served for twelve days in October 1779. With the exception of Bryan, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania makes no such distinction, and its listing of the state's early governors includes neither Potter, Biddle, nor Redick.

The first election of a president and vice president of Pennsylvania took place March 5, 1777, the day after the Council first convened. Thereafter, leadership elections took place in the fall, generally in November, following the popular election (held the second Tuesday in October) in which counsellors and Assemblymen were elected by eligible citizens. Routine elections involved a joint ballot of the Council and the General Assembly. Several other elections were held to fill vacancies resulting from resignation; these involved only a vote by the Council rather than a joint ballot with the Assembly. More often than not, records do not list contenders (other than the winners) or vote tallies, saying simply that a particular gentleman was duly elected president and another vice president. Presidents and vice presidents were elected to one year terms. They could be reelected, but their term as president or vice president could not (in theory) extend beyond the end of their three year term as counsellor. Date President Vice President Purpose March 5, 1777 Thomas Wharton George Bryan initial election November 21, 1777 Thomas Wharton George Bryan annual election (note: only election held in Lancaster) December 1, 1778 Joseph Reed (61)George Bryan (1)James Read (1) George Bryan (62)Joseph Hart (1) annual election October 11, 1779 – Matthew Smith to fill vacancy following Bryan's resignation November 11, 1779 Joseph ReedWilliam Moore William MooreJames Read annual election November 14, 1780 Joseph Reed (59)William Moore (1) William Moore (53)James Potter (6)General Lacey (1) annual election November 14, 1781 William Moore(64) James Ewing (1)James Potter (1)John Lacey (1) James Potter(38) James Ewing (28) annual election November 7, 1782 John Dickinson (41)James Potter (32) James Ewing (39)James Potter (34) annual election November 6, 1783 John Dickinson(unanimous) James Ewing(unanimous) annual election November 6, 1784 John DickinsonJohn Neville James IrvineJohn Neville annual election October 10, 1785 – Charles Biddle to fill vacancy following Irvine's resignation October 18, 1785 Benjamin Franklin(unanimous) – it is not clear why a replacement for Dickinson was needed. Dickinson's name does not appear in council minutes after theOctober 10, 1785 meeting that elected Biddle to the vice presidency. October 29, 1785 Benjamin Franklin Charles Biddle annual election November 4, 1786 Benjamin Franklin Charles Biddle October 31, 1787 Benjamin Franklin Peter Muhlenberg annual election October 14, 1788 – David Redick to fill vacancy following Muhlenberg's resignation November 5, 1788 Thomas Mifflin George Ross annual election November 11, 1789 Thomas Mifflin(unanimous) George Ross(unanimous) annual election

Throughout the history of the Council it was standard practice for newly elected presidents and vice presidents to take office immediately upon election. However, there were a few instances in which an individual did not take the oath of office until the day following his election. Section 40 of the 1776 Constitution stipulates: "Every officer, whether judicial, executive or military, in authority under this commonwealth, shall take the following oath of office before he enters on the execution of his office," meaning that an individual could not assume the duties of his office before taking the necessary oath. Cross referencing the election dates above with the preceding listings of terms in office will thus reveal several slight discrepancies, all resulting from a delayed administration of the oath:

George Bryan, elected vice president March 5, 1777, took office March 6. William Moore, elected president November 14, 1781, took office November 15. James Potter, elected vice president November 14, 1781, took office November 15. No reasons for the delays are noted in the minutes of the Council. Neither set of dates involved a conflict with the sabbath. There were other instances that involved reelections of men who had already been sworn into office at the start of their previous term and which thus caused no delay. These are not noted here.

Counsellors were elected to represent each county in Pennsylvania as well as the city of Philadelphia. They were elected to three year terms. Many served less than a full three, while others appear to have served slightly more. The Council sat year round and there was no specific date set for the start of a session or of any counsellor's term. Rather, new counsellors appear to have begun their terms whenever they were able to reach Philadelphia following their elections. The general election at that time was held on the second Tuesday in October and most counsellors took office in late October or in November. In most instances it is easy to fix the date on which a particular counsellor's term began, as the Minutes of the Council will note that on a particular date a particular gentleman was administered the oath and admitted to his seat. Many counsellors had sporadic attendance, and several were absent for a year or more at a time. This was particularly true of representatives from the distant western counties, although the phenomenon was certainly not limited to those gentlemen. Some counsellors simply sat out the last several months of their terms, their names disappearing from the Minutes by late summer or early autumn. Thus, the following list of counsellors generally notes only the day on which each began his term; unless indicated otherwise it is assumed that each term extended to the beginning of the next, regardless of the incumbent's actual attendance. Counsellors were accorded the title of Esquire.

With the Council set to be dissolved in December 1790, a provision of the new state constitution allowed counsellors and council officers whose terms would have expired that autumn to remain in office until December 21, rather than hold elections for new counsellors who would sit for only one or two months. Also, a review of the dates on which a particular county's counsellors began their terms will reveal several instances in which more than three years elapsed between the start of successive terms. It is uncertain whether the seat technically became vacant after exactly three years or if the incumbent's term extended to the start of his successor's, even if this meant exceeding the three year term limit imposed by the 1776 Constitution.

A constitutional convention was called in 1789 and a new state constitution was adopted the following year. The 1790 Constitution did away with the Supreme Executive Council and vested supreme executive power in the office of governor. On December 21, 1790 Thomas Mifflin, the last President of Pennsylvania, took office as the state's first governor. (The title of governor had been used during the Colonial era, although it referred to the appointed representative of the monarch or the Proprietor, rather than to an elected official.) The executive branch of the state government has been headed by a governor since that time. The 1790 Constitution made no provision for a lieutenant governor. Upon the death or resignation of the governor the office would be assumed by the Speaker of the State Senate. (This position no longer exists.) The office of lieutenant governor was created by the 1873 State Constitution and first occupied (by John Latta) in 1875.