William Paterson

William Paterson (December 24, 1745 – September 9, 1806) is a New Jersey statesman and a signer of the United States Constitution.

He is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and the second governor of New Jersey.

Born in County Antrim, Ireland, Paterson moves to the United States at a young age.

After graduating from the College of New Jersey and studying law under Richard Stockton, he is admitted to the bar in 1768.

He helps write the 1776 Constitution of New Jersey and serves as the New Jersey Attorney General from 1776 to 1783.

He represents New Jersey at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, where he proposes the New Jersey Plan, which would have provided for equal representation among the states in Congress.

After the ratification of the Constitution, Paterson serves in the United States Senate from 1789 to 1790, helping to draft the Judiciary Act of 1789.

He resigns from the Senate to take office as Governor of New Jersey.

In 1793, he accepts appointment by President George Washington to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

He serves on the court until his death in 1806.

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