John White Geary

John White Geary (30 December 1819–8 February 1873) was governor of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 1873. Born in Pennsylvania, Geary graduated from Jefferson College, studying civil engineering and law, and worked for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Geary rose to the rank of colonel during the Mexican War and was appointed postmaster of San Francisco by president Polk, and in 1850, became the city's first mayor. He was appointed governor of the Kansas Territory in 1856 (Geary County, Kansas is named in his honor) and led Union forces as a general during the American Civil War. During the civil war, he oversaw the surrdender of Savannah, Georgia and briefly served as the city's military governor. Although a Democrat politically, he was nominated as a gubernatorial candidate on the Republican ticket in 1866 and served two terms as governor of Pennsylvania.