George May Keim

Keim, George May. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, March 23, 1805; educated at Princeton College, studied law, and came to the bar in 1826; soon after became Cashier of the Farmer's Bank at Reading. In 1829 he became interested in the navigation and railroad interests of his district, became a prominent official among the Masons, took an interest in military affairs, and became a Major-General of militia, he was an earnest student of geology and Indian history, and collections that he made were donated to public institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution. In 1835 he became the head of a firm which established an extensive rolling-mill; was a Delegate to the State Constitutional Convention of 1837. In that year he was elected to Congress to fill a vacancy, and was twice re-elected. In 1842 presided at a Congressional dinner given to Charles Dickens in Washington; was himself a writer of verses. By President Taylor he was appointed Marshal of Eastern Pennsylvania, and re-appointed by President Polk. In 1847 he was made President of the "Liberty Union;" was one of the Managers of the Philadelphia Art Union. In 1852 he was elected Mayor of Reading, and "as a Presidential Elector in 1860. He took an interest in raising troops for the Rebellion, and died suddenly June 10, 1861, while drilling a company for the war.

Lanman, Charles. Biographical Annals of the Civil Government of the United States During Its First Century: From Original and Official Sources. Washington: James Anglim, Publisher, 1876, p. 235.

Contributed by: Nancy.