On This Day In Alabama History: Henry Collier Died

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

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.

To read the full article click here to visit the Alabama Newscenter website.

Tags: exp8

Category: ALL POSTS, Partner News Stories