On this day in Alabama history: Henry Collier died
Henry Watkins Collier was Alabama's 14th governor and served on the Alabama Supreme Court and in the state Legislature. During his two terms in office, Collier avoided full support for secession and dealt with issues such as slavery, prison reform, new industries and public education. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)
Aug. 28, 1855
Henry Collier, the first chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, was a native of Virginia. Collier became chief justice when the state Legislature voted in 1836 to constitute a separate and distinct high court. He served in that role for 12 years and authored more than 1,000 opinions. As a compromise candidate between the Whig and Democratic parties, Collier became the governor of Alabama in 1849. In that position, he promoted education reform and, among other things, helped create a state superintendent’s office. After completing his second term, during which he supervised the rebuilding of the state Capitol in Montgomery, Collier retired from public life. Although the Legislature offered him a seat in the U.S. Senate, he declined as his health was failing. He died on this day in 1855 after a long illness.
Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.
For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
