William Bebb

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William Bebb (December 8, 1802 - October 23, 1873) was a Whig politician from Ohio. He served as the 19th Governor of Ohio, he was the third native Ohioan to be elected to the office.

Bebb was born in Butler County, Ohio to Welsh immigrants. He is the son of Edward Bebb. They were early residents of Paddy's Run, now known as Shandon, Ohio. In 1826 the Paddy's Run school was organized under the new state law, a new building was erected, and William Bebb was employed as the first teacher. On 16 Oct 1824 he married Sarah Shuck, later Bebb and his wife opened a boarding school for boys. While he taught school he studied for the bar. He began practicing law in 1831. A devoted campaigner for William Henry Harrison in 1840 and for Henry Clay four years later, Bebb was nominated by the Whigs in 1846 for the governorship. Bebb served a single term beginning in December 1846. His term technically expired in December 1848, but was extended into January 1849 due to a number of close statewide elections which necessitated delaying the inauguration of a successor.