Zachariah Chandler

Originally from New Hampshire, Zachariah Chandler (1813–1879) moved to Michigan and became a successful Detroit business owner and mayor of that city. He helped establish Michigan's Republican Party and served three terms as a U.S. senator. As secretary of the Interior, Chandler aggressively investigated corruption, and his rapid reforms in Indian Affairs, the Pension Bureau and the General Land Office earned him the reputation of being one of the most capable administrators in the Department's early history. Simultaneously he chaired the Republican National Committee, helping Rutherford B. Hayes to a successful presidential bid. After leaving the Department, Chandler was re-elected for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, but he died in 1879 after just eight months in office.