Francis R. Shunk

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Francis Rawn Shunk

10th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office January 21, 1845 – July 9, 1848
Preceded by	David R. Porter
Succeeded by	William F. Johnston
Personal details
Born	August 7, 1788
Died	July 20, 1848(1848-07-20) (aged 59)
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Lutheran

Francis Rawn Shunk (August 7, 1788 – July 20, 1848) was the tenth Governor of Pennsylvania from 1845 to 1848. Born into a poor family, Shunk served in the Pennsylvania militia during the War of 1812. Both before and after the war, he served as a clerk and secretary in both the executive and legislative branches of Pennsylvania government, where he played an active role in moderating partisan tensions. When Democratic gubernatorial candidate Henry A. P. Muhlenberg unexpectedly died in August 1844, Shunk was tapped to run by the Democratic Party and narrowly defeated Whig candidate Joseph Markle. He was re-elected in 1847 but, suffering from tuberculosis, was forced to resign his position on July 9, 1848; he died eleven days later. Born near Trappe, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, son of John Shunk and Elisabeth Rawn. He married Jane Findlay, daughter of former Pennsylvania Governor William Findlay, on December 11, 1820. Governor Shunk's ancestors were pioneers in Upper Montgomery County, arriving there in 1715 from Mutterstadt, Pfalz, Germany were his great grandparents Caspar and Anna Barbara Schunck. Their son Francis and his wife Elisabetha Reimer, daughter of Dionysius Friederich Reimer and his wife Elisabetha Weinacht, were also from Mutterstadt, and were Francis R. Shunk's grandparents. Shunk Hall on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University is named in his honor. Shunk Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is also named in Francis R. Shunk's honor as is Gov. F.R. Shunk Avenue in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

External links

Francis R. Shunk at Find a Grave

Political offices
Preceded by David R. Porter	Governor of Pennsylvania 1845–1848	Succeeded by William F. Johnston

v t e Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania

Presidents (1777–1790)	Wharton Bryan Reed Moore Dickinson Franklin Mifflin

Governors (since 1790)	Mifflin McKean Snyder Findlay Hiester Shulze Wolf Ritner Porter Shunk Johnston Bigler Pollock Packer Curtin Geary Hartranft Hoyt Pattison Beaver Pattison Hastings Stone Pennypacker Stuart Tener Brumbaugh Sproul Pinchot Fisher Pinchot Earle James Martin Bell Duff Fine Leader Lawrence Scranton Shafer Shapp Thornburgh Casey Ridge Schweiker Rendell Corbett

Authority control	WorldCat VIAF: 73723528 LCCN: nr93003636

Persondata
Name	Shunk, Francis R.
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	August 7, 1788
Place of birth
Date of death	July 20, 1848
Place of death

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