Hugh Williamson

Biography

Hugh Williamson (1735–1819) was a North Carolina physician and mathematician who translated his scientific curiosity into service for the emerging United States, attending the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and helping to guide the new national charter through rigorous debate. As a member of the Continental Congress and later the U.S. House of Representatives, he advocated for education, internal improvements, and the precise application of reason to public policy.

Following public service he returned to private life but remained engaged with the ideals of the republic, and he now rests among fellow citizens at Trinity Church Cemetery.