Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from John Archer, 7 March 1802

From John Archer

City of Washington March 7th 1802

Sir,

Should there be any Vacancy by Death, Resignation or otherwise of any of the Secretaries to any of the Legations to Europe, I would beg leave to mention to your Consideration Dr: John Archer Jun. He is a young Man about 25 Years of Age, whom I do recommend as a Man of Sobriety, Integrity and Industry

I am with the greatest Respect Your very Hble Servt

John Archer

RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR); endorsed by TJ as a letter of 7 Mch. and “Dr. John Archer junr. to be Secretary legn” and so recorded in SJL but as a letter of 6 Mch. received 7 Mch.

John Archer (1741–1810) of Harford County, Maryland, graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1760 and in 1768 received from the College of Philadelphia the first medical diploma issued in America. He served as a major in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and was elected a Republican congressman from Maryland for the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Congresses. Four of his ten children, including his son John, became doctors (Biog. Dir. Cong. description begins Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–1989, Washington, D.C., 1989 description ends ; Papenfuse, Maryland Legislature description begins Edward C. Papenfuse, Alan F. Day, David W. Jordan, and Gregory A. Stiverson, eds., A Biographical Dictionary of the Maryland Legislature, 1635–1789, Baltimore, 1979–85, 2 vols. description ends , 1:107–8).

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