Clark Bissell

Clark Bissell
34th Governor of Connecticut
In office May 5, 1847 – May 2, 1849
Lieutenant	Charles J. McCurdy
Preceded by	Isaac Toucey
Succeeded by	Joseph Trumbull
Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 12th district
In office 1842–1844
Preceded by	Joshua Ferris
Succeeded by	Darius Mead
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk
In office 1829–1830 Serving with Charles Wiley Taylor
Preceded by	Benjamin Isaacs, Samuel B. Warren
Succeeded by	Thaddeus Betts, Eli Bennett
In office 1841–1842 Serving with Henry Selleck
Preceded by	Algernon Beard, Joseph W. Hubbell
Succeeded by	Henry Selleck, Matthew Wilcox
In office 1850–1851 Serving with Algernon Beard
Preceded by	Gould D. Jennings, William H. Benedict
Succeeded by	Ebenezer Hill, Henry M. Prowitt
Personal details
Born	(1782-09-07)September 7, 1782 Lebanon, Connecticut
Died	September 15, 1857(1857-09-15) (aged 75)
Resting place	Union Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Sally Sherwood Bissell
Children	6
Alma mater	Yale College
Profession	Lawyer, politician
Signature

Clark Bissell (September 7, 1782 – September 15, 1857) was the 34th governor of Connecticut. He served as an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court from 1829 to 1839. He had previously served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives representing Norwalk and the Connecticut Senate representing the 12th District.

Bissell was born in Lebanon, Connecticut on September 7, 1782. He studied at Yale College and graduated in 1806. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1809. He married Sally Sherwood and they had six children.

Becoming a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1829, Bissell was re-elected in 1841, and served in the Connecticut Senate from 1842 to 1843. He also succeeded Jeremiah G. Brainard as an associate judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors from 1829 to 1839.^[1]

Bissell ran unsuccessfully for the Connecticut governorship in 1846. However, he was elected in 1847 as Governor of Connecticut and was re-elected in 1848. During his term, he advocated for reform in education, taxes, and liquor prohibition, however, only insignificant legislation was passed. He vetoed a resolution on divorce, and it was looked upon as sabotaging the legislature's power. Because of this, he was not renominated for the 1849 election.^[2]

After completing his term as the Governor, Bissell continued as a Professor of Law at Yale University, a position he was appointed to during his governorship. He also served in the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1850.

Bissell died on September 15, 1857. He is interred at Norwalk Union Cemetery, Norwalk, Connecticut.^[3]

• Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2
• The Political Graveyard
• Profile, nga.org. Accessed March 29, 2024.