James Harlan

William and Mary Harlan’s father, James Harlan, was a Senator, first elected to his post in 1855. He served throughout Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, and the two Republicans were good friends. It was during this period that the Harlan and Lincoln families first began to mingle, with William and Tad becoming friends and Robert and Mary developing the relationship that would eventually lead to marriage. After Lincoln’s assassination, Harlan became Secretary of the Interior under Andrew Johnson in 1865. He returned to the Senate in 1867 for a single six-year term.