# List of Princeton University people (United States Congress, Supreme Court, Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention)

This list of people associated with Princeton University includes graduates who have served in the national government of the United States.

## Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of Congress. Princetonians have a long history of service in the Senate. The Senate of the First Congress included three Princeton alumni (Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, William Paterson of New Jersey, and John Henry of Maryland), two more who attended Princeton but did not graduate (John Brown of Virginia, later Kentucky, and Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina), and one Princeton Trustee (Jonathan Elmer of New Jersey). Alexander Leitch wrote in 1978 of the Senate, "Since its establishment in 1789 it has been without a Princetonian only twenty years." This is still the case: Claiborne Pell served 1961–97, Kit Bond served 1987–2011, Jeff Merkley has served since 2009, and Ted Cruz has served since 2013. If Cruz completes his current term, he will represent Princeton in the Senate through 2025. Princetonians have represented 26 of the 50 U.S. states in the Senate.
John Brown served in the Senate first from Virginia and then from Kentucky after its admission as a state. He is listed twice for convenience of sorting by state.
| Name | Affiliation | State | Service | Notes |
| John Armstrong Jr. | Att | New York | 1800–02, 1804 | Minister to France, 1804–1810. Minister to Spain, 1806. Secretary of War, 1813–14. |
| David Baird Jr. | B 1903 | New Jersey | 1929–30 | |
| W. Warren Barbour | Att | New Jersey | 1931–37, 1938–43 | |
| Dewey F. Bartlett | B 1942 | Oklahoma | 1973–79 | Governor, 1967–71. |
| James A. Bayard | B 1784 | Delaware | 1804–13 | |
| Richard H. Bayard | B 1814 | Delaware | 1836–39, 1841–45. | Chargé d'affaires to Belgium, 1850–53. |
| John M. Berrien | B 1781 | Georgia | 1825–29, 1841–45, 1845–52 | Attorney General, 1829–31. |
| Hiram Bingham III | F | Connecticut | 1924–33 | Credited with the discovery of Machu Picchu. |
| Francis Preston Blair Jr. | B 1841 | Missouri | 1871–73 | Major general for the Union during the American Civil War. |
| Kit Bond | B 1960 | Missouri | 1987–2011 | Governor, 1973–77, 1981–85. |
| Bill Bradley | B 1965 | New Jersey | 1979–97 | NBA player, 1967–77. Gold medalist in basketball in the 1964 Summer Olympics. |
| Daniel Brewster | Att 1942 | Maryland | 1963–69. | |
| John Brown | Att | Virginia | 1789–92 | U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1792–1805. President pro tempore, 1803, 1804. Listed twice; see above. |
| John Brown | Att | Kentucky | 1792–1805 | U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1789–92. President pro tempore, 1803, 1804. Listed twice; see above. |
| Jacob Burnet | B 1791 | Ohio | 1828–31. | |
| Aaron Burr | B 1772 | New York | 1791–97 | Vice President of the United States, 1801–05. |
| J. Donald Cameron | B 1852 | Pennsylvania | 1877–97 | Secretary of War, 1876–77. Chairman of the Republican National Committee, 1880. |
| George W. Campbell | B 1794 | Tennessee | 1811–14, 1815–18 | Secretary of the Treasury, 1814. Minister to Russia, 1818–21. |
| James Chesnut Jr. | B 1837 | South Carolina | 1858–60 | Confederate brigadier general, 1864. |
| John E. Colhoun | B 1774 | South Carolina | 1801–02 | |
| Alfred H. Colquitt | B 1844 | Georgia | 1883–94 | Governor, 1876–80. |
| Walter T. Colquitt | Att | Georgia | 1843–48 | Congressman, 1839–49 |
| Ted Cruz | B 1992 | Texas | 2013– | Solicitor General of Texas, 2003–08 |
| Alfred Cuthbert | B 1803 | Georgia | 1835–43 | |
| John Danforth | B 1958 | Missouri | 1976–95 | Ambassador to the United Nations, 2004–05. |
| Jonathan Dayton | B 1776 | New Jersey | 1799–1805 | U.S. House Speaker, 1795–99. |
| William L. Dayton | B 1825 | New Jersey | 1842–51 | Republican Party nominee for Vice President, 1856. Minister to France, 1861–64. |
| Mahlon Dickerson | B 1789 | New Jersey | 1817–33. | Governor, 1815–17. Secretary of the Navy, 1834–38. |
| James H. Duff | B 1904 | Pennsylvania | 1951–57 | Governor, 1947–51. |
| John Foster Dulles | B 1908 | New York | 1949 | Secretary of State, 1953–59. |
| Henry W. Edwards | B 1797 | Connecticut | 1823–27 | Governor, 1833–34, 1835–38. |
| Oliver Ellsworth | B 1766 | Connecticut | 1789–96 | Chief Justice of the United States, 1796–1800. Minister to France, 1799–1800. |
| Jonathan Elmer | T 1782–95 | New Jersey | 1789–91 | |
| Richard Stockton Field | B 1821, F 1847 | New Jersey | 1862–63 | |
| John Forsyth | B 1799 | Georgia | 1818–19, 1829–34 | Governor, 1827–29. Secretary of State, 1834–41. |
| Frederick Frelinghuysen | B 1770 | New Jersey | 1793–96 | |
| Theodore Frelinghuysen | B 1804 | New Jersey | 1829–35 | Whig Party candidate for Vice President, 1844. President of Rutgers College, 1850–62. |
| Bill Frist | B 1974; T 1974–78, 1991–2001; F 2007–08 | Tennessee | 1995–2007 | Senate Majority Leader, 2003–07. |
| Edward J. Gay | B 1901 | Louisiana | 1918–21 | |
| William Branch Giles | B 1781 | Virginia | 1804–15 | Governor, 1827–30. |
| George Gray | B 1859 | Delaware | 1885–99 | |
| Joseph F. Guffey | Att 1890–91 | Pennsylvania | 1935–47 | |
| John S. Hager | B 1836 | California | 1873–75 | |
| Robert Goodloe Harper | B 1785 | South Carolina | 1816 | |
| Benjamin Hawkins | Att | North Carolina | 1789–95 | |
| John Henry | B 1769 | Maryland | 1789–97 | Governor, 1797–98. |
| Kaneaster Hodges Jr. | B 1960 | Arkansas | 1977–79 | |
| Daniel Elliott Huger | B 1798 | South Carolina | 1843–45. | |
| John L. M. Irby | Att | South Carolina | 1891–97 | |
| James Iredell | B 1806 | North Carolina | 1828–31 | |
| Alfred Iverson Sr. | B 1820 | Georgia | 1855–61 | |
| James K. Kelly | B 1839 | Oregon | 1871–77 | |
| John F. Kennedy | Att 1935 | Massachusetts | 1953–60 | President of the United States, 1961–63. U.S. Representative, 1947–53. |
| Blair Lee I | B 1880 | Maryland | 1914–17 | |
| Samuel Livermore | B 1752 | New Hampshire | 1793–1801 | President pro tempore, 1796, 1799. |
| Edward Livingston | B 1781 | Louisiana | 1829–31 | Mayor of New York City, 1801–03. Secretary of State, 1831–33. Ambassador to France, 1833–35. |
| George R. Lunn | GS | New York | 1917–19 | |
| Nathaniel Macon | B 1777 | North Carolina | 1815–28 | President pro tem, 1826–27. U.S. Representative from North Carolina, 1791–1815; Speaker, 1801–07. |
| Alexander Martin | B 1756 | North Carolina | 1793–99 | Acting Governor, 1781–82. Governor, 1782–84, 1789–92. |
| Jonathan Mason | B 1774 | Massachusetts | 1800–03 | |
| Jeff Merkley | MPA 1982 | Oregon | 2009– | |
| Arnold Naudain | B 1806 | Delaware | 1830–36 | |
| Aaron Ogden | B 1773, T 1803–39 | New Jersey | 1802–03 | Governor, 1812. |
| William Paterson | B 1763 | New Jersey | 1789–90 | Governor, 1791–93. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1793–1806. |
| James Pearce | B 1822 | Maryland | 1843–62 | |
| Claiborne Pell | B 1940 | Rhode Island | 1961–97 | |
| Atlee Pomerene | B 1884 | Ohio | 1911–23 | |
| Thomas Pratt | Att | Maryland | 1850–57 | Governor of Maryland, 1845–48. |
| John Randolph | Att | Virginia | 1825–27 | Minister to Russia, 1830. Co-founder of the American Colonization Society. |
| David A. Reed | B 1900 | Pennsylvania | 1922–35 | |
| Thomas Buck Reed | Att | Mississippi | 1826–27, 1829 | |
| John Rutherfurd | B 1779 | New Jersey | 1791–98 | |
| Paul Sarbanes | B 1954, T 2002–06 | Maryland | 1977–2007 | |
| H. Alexander Smith | B 1901, F 1927–30 | New Jersey | 1944–59 | |
| Samuel L. Southard | B 1804 | New Jersey | 1821–23, 1833–42 | Secretary of the Navy, 1823–29. Interim Secretary of the Treasury, 1825. Interim Secretary of War, 1828. Governor, 1832–33. |
| John P. Stockton | B 1843 | New Jersey | 1865–66, 1869–75 | U.S. Ambassador to Italy, 1858–61. |
| Robert F. Stockton | Att | New Jersey | 1851–53 | Officer in the Mexican–American War. |
| Richard Stockton | B 1779 | New Jersey | 1796–99 | |
| David Stone | B 1788 | North Carolina | 1801–07, 1813–14 | Governor, 1808–10. |
| John Taylor | B 1790 | South Carolina | 1810–16 | Governor, 1826–28. |
| John Renshaw Thomson | Att | New Jersey | 1853–62 | |
| Isaac Tichenor | B 1775 | Vermont | 1796–97, 1815–21. | Governor, 1797–1807, 1808–09. |
| George Troup | B 1797 | Georgia | 1816–18, 1829–33. | Governor, 1823–27. |
| Nicholas Van Dyke | B 1788 | Delaware | 1817–26 | |
| Abraham B. Venable | B 1780 | Virginia | 1803–04 | |
| John Williams Walker | B 1806 | Alabama | 1819–22 | Inaugural U.S. Senator. |
| James Walter Wall | B 1838 | New Jersey | 1863 | |
| George H. Williams | B 1894 | Missouri | 1925–26 | |
| David H. McCormick | MPA 1994 PHD 1996 | Pennsylvania | 2025– | |

## House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is the lower house of Congress. Princetonians have a long history of service in the House. Alexander Leitch noted in 1978 that the House "has not been without a Princeton alumnus in its membership in any year since it first met in 1789." As of 2015, this remains the case.
Princetonians have served 24 of the 50 U.S. states in the House. Two served as nonvoting delegates from Arkansas Territory and Michigan Territory before these territories became states.
| Name | Affiliation | State | Service | Notes |
| Evan Alexander | B 1787 | North Carolina | 1806–09 | |
| Bruce Alger | B 1940 | Texas | 1955–65 | |
| Willis Alston | Att | North Carolina | 1825–31 | |
| Abram Andrew | B 1893, T 1932–36 | Massachusetts | 1921–26 | |
| Arthur Glenn Andrews | B 1931 | Alabama | 1965–67 | |
| Walter Gresham Andrews | B 1913, Football coach 1913–15 | New York | 1931–49 | |
| John Archer | B 1760 | Maryland | 1801–07 | |
| Stevenson Archer I | B 1805 | Maryland | 1811–17, 1819–21 | |
| Stevenson Archer II | B 1848 | Maryland | 1867–75 | |
| James Armstrong | Att | Pennsylvania | 1793–95 | |
| William Armstrong | B 1847 | Pennsylvania | 1869–71 | |
| John Bacon | B 1765 | Massachusetts | 1801–03 | |
| Alexander Bailey | B 1837 | New York | 1867–71 | |
| Joseph Bailey | B 1915 | Texas | 1933–35 | |
| David Bard | B 1773 | Pennsylvania | 1795–99, 1803–15 | |
| James W. Bates | B 1807 | Arkansas Territory | 1819–23 | Nonvoting Delegate. |
| Thomas Bayly | B 1797 | Maryland | 1817–23 | |
| Thomas M. Bayly | B 1794 | Virginia | 1813–15 | |
| John Beatty | B 1769, T 1787–1802 | New Jersey | 1793–95 | |
| Cleve Benedict | B 1959 | West Virginia | 1981–83 | |
| Christopher Bergen | B 1863 | New Jersey | 1889–93 | |
| Charles J. Biddle | B 1837 | Pennsylvania | 1861–63 | |
| John Biddle | Att | Michigan Territory | 1829–31 | Nonvoting Delegate. |
| Alexander Boteler | B 1835 | Virginia | 1859–61 | |
| Elias Boudinot | T 1772–1821 | New Jersey | 1789–95 | Director of the U.S. Mint, 1794–1805. |
| Thomas Fielder Bowie | Att | Maryland | 1885–59 | |
| Obadiah Bowne | Att 1838–40 | New York | 1851–53 | |
| Lawrence Branch | B 1838 | North Carolina | 1855–61 | Brigadier general in the Confederate Army. |
| James Broom | B 1794 | Delaware | 1805–07 | |
| George Houston Brown | B 1828 | New Jersey | 1851–53 | |
| Charles Browne | B 1896, AM 1900, F | New Jersey | 1923–35 | Mayor of Princeton, 1914–23. |
| Andrew Bruyn | B 1810 | New York | 1837–38 | |
| Ken Buck | B 1980 | Colorado | 2015–24 | |
| Chester Butler | B 1817 | Pennsylvania | 1847–50 | |
| Jesse Bynum | Att 1818–19 | North Carolina | 1833–41 | |
| Richard Carmichael | B 1828 | Maryland | 1833–35 | |
| George Chambers | B 1804 | Pennsylvania | 1833–37 | |
| William Chetwood | B 1792 | New Jersey | 1836–37 | |
| James West Clark | B 1797 | North Carolina | 1815–17 | |
| James M. Clarke | B 1939 | North Carolina | 1983–85, 1987–91 | |
| Isaiah Clawson | B 1840 | New Jersey | 1855–59 | |
| Hiester Clymer | B 1847 | Pennsylvania | 1873–81 | |
| Joseph H. Crane | Att | Ohio | 1829–37 | |
| Lewis Condict | T 1827–61 | New Jersey | 1811–17, 1821–33 | |
| Silas Condit | B 1795 | New Jersey | 1831–33 | |
| Edward Colston | B 1806 | Virginia | 1817–19 | |
| Barnes Compton | B 1851 | Maryland | 1885–90, 1891–94 | |
| Joseph Cottman | Att 1821 | Maryland | 1851–53 | |
| John Cowen | B 1866 | Maryland | 1895–97 | |
| Thomas Crago | B 1893 | Pennsylvania | 1911–13, 1915–21, 1921–23 | |
| Thomas Hartley Crawford | B 1804 | Pennsylvania | 1829–33 | |
| George Crump | B 1805 | Virginia | 1826–27 | |
| Elisha Cullen | Att | Delaware | 1855–57 | |
| John A. Cuthbert | B 1805 | Georgia | 1819–21 | |
| Jonathan Dayton | B 1776 | New Jersey | 1791–99 | Speaker, 1795–99. U.S. Senator, 1799–1805. |
| William Dewart | B 1839 | Pennsylvania | 1857–59 | |
| Samuel Eager | B 1809 | New York | 1830–31 | |
| Henry W. Edwards | B 1797 | Connecticut | 1819–23 | U.S. Senator, 1823–27. Governor, 1833–34, 1835–38. |
| Lucas Elmendorf | B 1782 | New York | 1797–1803 | |
| James Everhart | B 1842 | Pennsylvania | 1883–87 | |
| Michael Feighan | B 1927 | Ohio | 1943–71 | |
| John Van Lear Findlay | B 1858 | Maryland | 1883–87 | |
| Hubert Fisher | GS 1900–01 | Tennessee | 1917–31 | |
| Vince Fong | MPA 2003 | California | 2024– | |
| Franklin Fort | B 1901 | New Jersey | 1925–31 | |
| Samuel Fowler | Att | New Jersey | 1889–93 | |
| Peter Frelinghuysen | B 1938 | New Jersey | 1953–75 | |
| Henry M. Fuller | B 1839 | Pennsylvania | 1851–53, 1855–57 | |
| Joseph Gaines | B 1886 | West Virginia | 1901–11 | |
| Mike Gallagher | B 2006 | Wisconsin | 2017–24 | |
| Ralph Gamble | B 1909 | New York | 1937–57 | |
| Robert S. Garnett | Att | Virginia | 1817–27 | |
| William Gaston | B 1796 | North Carolina | 1813–17 | |
| Elmer Geran | B 1899 | New Jersey | 1923–25 | |
| James Gholson | B 1820 | Virginia | 1833–35 | |
| Richard Habersham | B 1810 | Georgia | 1839–42. | |
| Charles Haight | B 1857 | New Jersey | 1867–71 | |
| William Halstead | B 1812 | New Jersey | 1837–39, 1841–43 | Elected but not seated, 1839–41. |
| James G. Hampton | B 1835 | New Jersey | 1845–49 | |
| John A. Hanna | B 1782 | Pennsylvania | 1797–1805 | |
| Robert G. Harper | B 1785 | South Carolina | 1795–1801 | U.S. Senator from Maryland, 1816. |
| Henry S. Harris | B 1870 | New Jersey | 1881–83 | |
| Hal Haskell | Att 1940–42 | Delaware | 1957–59 | |
| William Hayward Jr. | B 1808 | Maryland | 1823–25 | |
| Nan Hayworth | B 1981 | New York | 2011–13 | |
| Ken Hechler | F 1947–49 | West Virginia | 1959–77 | |
| John Hinshaw | B 1916 | California | 1939–56 | |
| George Holcombe | B 1805 | New Jersey | 1821–28 | |
| Rush Holt | PPPL assistant director, 1989–97. | New Jersey | 1999–2015 | |
| Benjamin C. Howard | B 1809 | Maryland | 1829–33, 1835–39 | |
| Charles R. Howell | Att 1923–24 | New Jersey | 1949–55 | |
| Nathaniel W. Howell | B 1788 | New York | 1813–15 | |
| William Hudnut | B 1954 | Indiana | 1973–75 | Mayor of Indianapolis, 1976–91. |
| James Imlay | B 1786 | New Jersey | 1797–1801 | |
| Charles Jared Ingersoll | Att | Pennsylvania | 1813–15, 1841–49 | |
| Joseph Reed Ingersoll | B 1804 | Pennsylvania | 1835–37, 1841–49 | Ambassador to the United Kingdom, 1852–53. |
| Glenn Ivey | B 1983 | Maryland | 2023– | |
| James M. Jackson | B 1845 | West Virginia | 1889–90 | |
| Kensey Johns Jr. | B 1810 | Delaware | 1827–31 | |
| James T. Jones | B 1852 | Alabama | 1877–79, 1883–89 | |
| Seaborn Jones | Att | Georgia | 1833–35, 1845–47. | |
| Thomas Laurens Jones | B 1840 | Kentucky | 1867–71, 1875–77 | |
| David S. Kaufman | B 1830 | Texas | 1846–51 | Republic of Texas: House of Representatives, 1839–43; Speaker, 1839–41. Senate, 1843–45. Chargé d'affaires to the United States, 1845. |
| George Keim | Att | Pennsylvania | 1838–43 | |
| John F. Kennedy | Att 1935 | Massachusetts | 1947–53 | President of the United States, 1961–63; U.S. Senator, 1953–60. |
| Derek Kilmer | B 1996 | Washington | 2013– | |
| Littleton Kirkpatrick | B 1815 | New Jersey | 1843–45 | |
| William Kirkpatrick | B 1788 | New York | 1807–09 | |
| John Kittera | B 1776 | Pennsylvania | 1791–1801 | |
| Raja Krishnamoorthi | B 1995 | Illinois | 2017– | |
| Jim Leach | B 1964, T 2002–06, F 2007–09 | Iowa | 1977–2007 | Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, 2009–2013. |
| Leonard Lance | MPA 1982 | New Jersey | 2009–19 | |
| Mel Levine | MPA 1966 | California | 1983–93 | |
| James Linn | B 1769 | New Jersey | 1799–1801 | |
| Edward Livingston | B 1781 | Louisiana | 1823–29 | U.S. Secretary of State, 1831–33. Mayor of New York City, 1801–03. U.S. Senator, 1829–31. Ambassador to France, 1833–35. |
| Robert Le Roy Livingston | B | New York | 1809–12 | |
| Clarence Long | AM 1935, PhD 1938 | Maryland | 1963–85 | |
| Nathaniel Macon | B 1777 | North Carolina | 1791–1815 | Speaker, 1801–07. U.S. Senator, 1815–28; President pro tempore, 1826–27. |
| Patrick Magruder | Att | Maryland | 1805–07 | Librarian of Congress, 1807–15. |
| Alem Marr | B 1807 | Pennsylvania | 1829–31 | |
| Jim Marshall | B 1972 | Georgia | 2003–11 | |
| John Thomson Mason Jr. | B 1836 | Maryland | 1841–43 | |
| George C. Maxwell | B 1792 | New Jersey | 1811–13 | |
| John Patterson Bryan Maxwell | B 1823 | New Jersey | 1837–39, 1841–43 | Elected but not seated, 1839–41. |
| George B. McClellan Jr. | B 1886, F | New York | 1895–1903 | Mayor of New York City, 1903–10. |
| Walter I. McCoy | B 1881 | New Jersey | 1911–14 | |
| Welty McCullogh | B 1870 | Pennsylvania | 1887–89 | |
| Joseph McKibbin | Att 1840–42 | California | 1857–59 | |
| Stewart McKinney | Att 1949–51 | Connecticut | 1971–87 | |
| Robert McKnight | B 1839 | Pennsylvania | 1859–63 | |
| Charles F. Mercer | B 1797 | Virginia | 1817–39 | |
| John J. Milligan | B 1814 | Delaware | 1831–39 | |
| Samuel W. Morris | Att | Pennsylvania | 1837–41 | |
| Henry Nes | B 1824 | Pennsylvania | 1843–45, 1847–50 | |
| Nathaniel Niles | B 1766 | Vermont | 1791–95 | |
| John T. Nixon | B 1841 | New Jersey | 1859–63 | |
| Edward Overton | B 1856 | Pennsylvania | 1877–81 | |
| Richard W. Parker | B 1867 | New Jersey | 1895–1911, 1914–19, 1921–23 | |
| John M. Patton | B 1816 | Virginia | 1830–38 | |
| George Pearre | Att | Maryland | 1899–1911 | |
| Richmond Pearson | B 1872 | North Carolina | 1895–99, 1900–01 | U.S. Envoy to Persia, 1902–07. Envoy to Greece and Montenegro, 1907–09. |
| William Pennington | B 1813 | New Jersey | 1859–61 | Speaker, 1859–61. Governor, 1837–43. |
| Charles E. Phelps | B 1852 | Maryland | 1865–69 | |
| Isaac Pierson | B 1789 | New Jersey | 1827–31 | |
| Otis Pike | B 1946 | New York | 1961–79 | |
| Mahlon Pitney | B 1879 | New Jersey | 1895–99 | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1912–22. |
| Jared Polis | B 1996 | Colorado | 2009–19 | Governor of Colorado, 2019– |
| Alfred H. Powell | B 1799 | Virginia | 1825–27 | |
| L. Richardson Preyer | B 1941 | North Carolina | 1969–81 | |
| John Randolph | Att | Virginia | 1799–1813, 1815–17, 1819–25, 1827–29, 1833 | U.S. Senator, 1825–27. Minister to Russia, 1830. Co-founder of the American Colonization Society. |
| John Rhea | B 1780 | Tennessee | 1803–15, 1817–23 | |
| William E. Richardson | B 1910 | Pennsylvania | 1933–37 | |
| John J. Roane | Att | Virginia | 1831–33 | |
| Thomas Robinson Jr. | B 1823 | Delaware | 1839–41 | |
| Robert F. Rockwell | B 1909 | Colorado | 1941–49 | |
| George B. Rodney | B 1820 | Delaware | 1841–45 | |
| Thomas Ross | B 1823 | Pennsylvania | 1849–53 | |
| Tinsley Rucker | Att | Georgia | 1917 | |
| William Fitts Ryan | B 1947 | New York | 1961–72 | |
| John Sarbanes | B 1984 | Maryland | 2007– | |
| John Scott | B 1805 | Missouri | 1816–17, 1817–21, 1821–27 | Nonvoting Delegate from Missouri Territory before August 10, 1821. |
| John A. Scudder | B 1775 | New Jersey | 1810–11 | |
| John Sergeant | B 1795 | Pennsylvania | 1815–23, 1827–29, 1837–41. | National Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States, 1832. |
| Terri Sewell | B 1986 | Alabama | 2011– | |
| Alfred Sieminski | B 1934 | New Jersey | 1951–59 | |
| Roger Slaughter | B 1928 | Missouri | 1943–47 | |
| Isaac Smith | B 1755, F 1755–58 | New Jersey | 1795–97 | |
| Peter Plympton Smith | B 1968 | Vermont | 1989–91 | |
| William Stephens Smith | B 1774 | New York | 1813–15 | |
| John Stanly | Att | North Carolina | 1801–03, 1809–11 | |
| John Stoddert | B 1810 | Maryland | 1833–35 | |
| Michael Strang | B 1956 | Colorado | 1985–87 | |
| John L. N. Stratton | B 1836 | New Jersey | 1859–63 | |
| James Strawbridge | B 1844 | Pennsylvania | 1873–75 | |
| John Augustus Swope | B 1847 | Pennsylvania | 1884–85, 1885–87 | |
| Charles Talcott | B 1879 | New York | 1913–15 | |
| Nathaniel G. Taylor | B 1840 | Tennessee | 1854–55, 1866–67 | |
| Frederick Teese | B 1843 | New Jersey | 1875–77 | |
| Thomas Telfair | B 1805 | Georgia | 1813–17 | |
| George Toland | B 1816 | Pennsylvania | 1837–43 | |
| Thomas Tredwell | B 1764 | New York | 1791–95 | |
| Walter Tucker III | Att 1974–76 | California | 1993–95 | |
| Jeremiah Van Rensselaer | B 1758 | New York | 1789–91 | |
| Stephen Van Rensselaer | Att | New York | 1822–29 | Founder of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. |
| John Vanmeter | B 1821 | Ohio | 1843–45 | |
| Abraham Watkins Venable | AM 1819 | North Carolina | 1847–53 | |
| John Watmough | B 1811 | Pennsylvania | 1831–35 | |
| Laurence Hawley Watres | B 1904 | Pennsylvania | 1923–31 | |
| James Moore Wayne | B 1808 | Georgia | 1829–35 | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1835–67. |
| Addison White | B 1844 | Kentucky | 1851–53 | |
| Harry White | B 1854 | Pennsylvania | 1877–81 | |
| William G. Whiteley | B 1838 | Delaware | 1857–61 | |
| James W. Wilkin | B 1785 | New York | 1815–19 | |
| Samuel J. Wilkin | B 1812 | New York | 1831–33 | |
| Seward Williams | Att | Ohio | 1915–17 | |
| Ephraim Wilson | B 1790 | Maryland | 1827–31 | |
| Ira W. Wood | B 1877 | New Jersey | 1904–13 | |
| Silas Wood | B 1789 | New York | 1819–29 | |
| Dudley Wooten | B 1875 | Texas | 1901–03 | |
| John Wurts | B 1813 | Pennsylvania | 1825–27 | |
| Ed Zschau | B 1961 | California | 1983–87 | |

## U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States is the nation's highest court. Of the 112 justices to have served on the Supreme Court, 12 have been Princetonians. Three current justices are Princeton graduates. Oliver Ellsworth was the second Chief Justice of the United States; all others listed here were or are Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.
| Name | Affiliation | Service | Notes |
| Samuel Alito | B 1972 | 2006– | |
| Peter V. Daniel | Att 1802–03 | 1842–60 | |
| Oliver Ellsworth | B 1766 | 1796–1800 | U.S. Senator from Connecticut, 1789–96. Minister to France, 1799–1800. |
| John Marshall Harlan | B 1920 | 1955–71 | |
| William Johnson | B 1790 | 1804–34 | |
| Elena Kagan | B 1981 | 2010– | Dean of Harvard Law School, 2003–09. Solicitor General of the United States, 2009–10. |
| Henry Brockholst Livingston | B 1774 | 1807–23 | |
| William Paterson | B 1763 | 1793–1806 | U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1789–90. Governor of New Jersey, 1791–93. |
| Mahlon Pitney | B 1879 | 1912–22 | U.S. Representative from New Jersey, 1895–99. |
| Sonia Sotomayor | B 1976, T 2007–11 | 2009– | |
| Smith Thompson | B 1788 | 1823–43 | Secretary of the Navy, 1818–23. |
| James Moore Wayne | B 1808 | 1835–67 | |

## Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774 to plan the colonies' response to the punitive Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament earlier that year. When the Congress's appeal to the British government failed, the Second Continental Congress convened, again in Philadelphia. Meeting 1775–81, it issued the Declaration of Independence and was the provisional government of the United States during the Revolutionary War. It reorganized in 1781 following the adoption of the Articles of Confederation, under which it was known formally as the Congress of the Confederation. Between 1781 and 1789, this body met in several locations, including in Nassau Hall on the Princeton campus for about four months in 1783. It disbanded in 1789 following the ratification of the Constitution.
Princetonians represented each of the 13 states except Massachusetts in the Continental Congress. Four of them signed the Declaration of Independence; they are indicated by asterisks (*). Among them was John Witherspoon, a delegate from New Jersey and then the President of Princeton. Trained as a Presbyterian minister, Witherspoon was the only clergyman in the Continental Congress and served often as the body's chaplain. His experience on representative bodies in the ministry prepared him to be especially effective and influential in Congress, where he is said to have served on more committees than any other member.
| Name | Affiliation | State | Service | Notes |
| John Armstrong Jr. | Att | Pennsylvania | 1787–88 | U.S. Senator from New York, 1800–02, 1803–04. Minister to France, 1804–10. Minister to Spain, 1806. Secretary of War, 1813–14. |
| John Beatty | B 1769, T 1787–1802 | New Jersey | 1784–85 | U.S. Representative, 1793–95. |
| Gunning Bedford | B 1771 | Delaware | 1783–85 | |
| Elias Boudinot | T 1772–1821 | New Jersey | 1778, 1781–83 | President of the Continental Congress, 1782–83. Director of the U.S. Mint, 1795–1805. |
| William Burnet | B 1749 | New Jersey | 1780–81 | |
| Jonathan Dayton | B 1776 | New Jersey | 1787–88 | U.S. Representative, 1791–99; Speaker, 1795–99. U.S. Senator, 1799–1805. |
| Pierpont Edwards | B 1768 | Connecticut | 1788 | |
| Oliver Ellsworth | B 1766 | Connecticut | 1778–83 | U.S. Senator, 1789–96. Chief Justice of the United States, 1796–1800. Minister to France, 1799–1800. |
| Jonathan Elmer | T 1782–95 | New Jersey | 1777–78, 1781–83, 1787–88 | U.S. Senator, 1789–91 |
| Frederick Frelinghuysen | B 1770 | New Jersey | 1779 | U.S. Senator, 1793–96 |
| John Habersham | Att | Georgia | 1785 | |
| Joseph Habersham | Att | Georgia | 1785 | U.S. Postmaster General, 1795–1801. |
| Benjamin Hawkins | Att | North Carolina | 1781–83, 1787 | U.S. Senator, 1789–91, 1791–95. |
| John Henry | B 1769 | Maryland | 1778–80, 1785–86 | U.S. Senator, 1789–97. Governor, 1797–98. |
| Joseph Hewes* | Att | North Carolina | 1774–76 | |
| William Houston | B 1768, F 1769–83 | New Jersey | 1775–76, 1779–81, 1784–85 | |
| David Howell | B 1766 | Rhode Island | 1782–85 | |
| Richard Hutson | B 1765 | South Carolina | 1778–79 | |
| Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee III | B 1773, AM 1776 | Virginia | 1786–88 | Governor, 1792–95. Revolutionary War cavalry officer. |
| Samuel Livermore | B 1752 | New Hampshire | 1780–82, 1785–86 | U.S. Senator, 1793–1801; President pro tempore, 1796, 1799. |
| Walter Livingston | B 1759 | New York | 1784–85 | |
| James Madison | B 1771, Princeton's first GS | Virginia | 1780–83, 1787–88 | U.S. Secretary of State, 1801–09. President of the United States, 1809–17. "Father of the U.S. Constitution". |
| James Manning | B 1762 | Rhode Island | 1786 | Founder and first President of Brown University, 1764–91. |
| Joseph Montgomery | B 1755 | Pennsylvania | 1780–82 | |
| David Ramsay | B 1765 | South Carolina | 1782–83, 1785–86 | President pro tempore, 1785–86. |
| Nathaniel Ramsey | B 1767 | Maryland | 1786–87 | |
| Joseph Reed | B 1757 | Pennsylvania | 1778 | President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, 1778–81. |
| James Randolph Reid | B 1775 | Pennsylvania | 1787–89 | |
| Jesse Root | B 1756 | Connecticut | 1778–82 | |
| Benjamin Rumsey | Att | Maryland | 1776–77 | |
| Benjamin Rush* | B 1760 | Pennsylvania | 1776–77 | |
| Nathaniel Scudder | B 1751, T 1778–81 | New Jersey | 1778–79 | |
| Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant | B 1762 | New Jersey | 1776, 1776–77 | |
| William Shippen | T 1765–96 | Pennsylvania | 1779–80 | One of the founders of Princeton and UPenn. |
| Jonathan B. Smith | B 1760, T 1779–1808 | Pennsylvania | 1777–78 | |
| Richard Stockton* | B 1748 | New Jersey | 1776 | |
| John Witherspoon* | Pres 1768–94 | New Jersey | 1776–82 | |
| Henry Wynkoop | B 1760 | Pennsylvania | 1779–82 | |

## Constitutional Convention

The impotence of the national government under the Articles of Confederation prompted the Constitutional Convention, which met in Philadelphia between 25 May and 17 September 1787. This assembly wrote the Constitution of the United States, which came into effect in 1789 after nine states had ratified it.
Princetonians represented six of the 12 states that sent delegations to the convention. (Rhode Island declined to send a delegation.) Ten of the 56 delegates were Princetonians, including four of the five delegates from New Jersey. This compares with five delegates each from the College of William & Mary and Yale College, three each from Harvard College and Columbia College, two from the University of Pennsylvania, and one each from the University of Oxford and the University of Glasgow.
James Madison was the first delegate to arrive at the convention and was so influential there that he came to be known as the "Father of the Constitution". He also argued for the Constitution's ratification in The Federalist Papers, written together with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. As a Representative in the 1st United States Congress, he introduced the Bill of Rights, which became the first ten Amendments to the Constitution.
William Paterson and Oliver Ellsworth were also influential at the convention. In response to Madison's Virginia Plan, under which states would be represented in Congress in proportion to their population and taxes paid, Paterson authored the New Jersey Plan, which called for equal representation for each state. Together with his Connecticut colleague Roger Sherman, Ellsworth crafted the Connecticut Compromise, also called the Great Compromise, which blended the two plans. This plan, which specified a bicameral legislature with one house apportioned by population and the other in which the states would be represented equally, became the basis for the House of Representatives and Senate in the final Constitution.
Signers of the Constitution are indicated with asterisks (*).
| Name | Affiliation | State | Notes |
| Gunning Bedford* | B 1771 | Delaware | |
| David Brearley* | Att | New Jersey | |
| William Richardson Davie | B 1776 | North Carolina | Governor, 1798–99. |
| Jonathan Dayton* | B 1776 | New Jersey | U.S. Representative, 1791–99; Speaker, 1795–99. U.S. Senator, 1799–1805. |
| Oliver Ellsworth | B 1766 | Connecticut | U.S. Senator, 1789–96. Chief Justice of the United States, 1796–1800. Minister to France, 1799–1800. |
| William Houston | B 1768, F 1769–83 | New Jersey | |
| James Madison* | B 1771, Princeton's first GS | Virginia | Secretary of State, 1801–09. President of the United States, 1809–17. |
| Alexander Martin | B 1756 | North Carolina | Acting Governor, 1781–82. Governor, 1782–84, 1789–92. U.S. Senator, 1793–99. |
| Luther Martin | B 1766 | Maryland | |
| William Paterson* | B 1763 | New Jersey | U.S. Senator, 1789–90. Governor, 1791–93. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1793–1806. |