Creighton Jr., William

William Creighton, Jr., was Ohio's first Secretary of State.

He was born on October 29, 1778, in Berkeley County, Virginia (modern-day West Virginia). He received his formal education at Dickinson College. Creighton was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He was an early proponent of Ohio statehood and actively campaigned against Arthur St. Clair, the Governor of the Northwest Territory and a member of the Federalist Party. Creighton was an important ally of Edward Tiffin and Thomas Worthington in the constitutional convention of 1802.

When Ohio became a state, Creighton served as the first Secretary of State. The State of Ohio paid Creighton seven hundred dollars per year while he served in the office. He held this position until 1808. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1810 and then in the United States House of Representatives on three separate occasions (1813-1817, 1827-1828, and 1829-1833). In addition to holding political office, Creighton earned a reputation as one of Ohio's best attorneys. He died in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 1, 1851.