Leland Stanford

Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824June 21, 1893) was an American attorney, industrialist, philanthropist, and Republican Party politician from California. He served as the 8th governor of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented the state in the United States Senate from 1885 until his death in 1893. He and his wife Jane founded Stanford University, named after their late son.

Stanford was a successful merchant and wholesaler who migrated to California during the Gold Rush and built a business empire. He was an influential executive of the Central Pacific Railroad and later the Southern Pacific railroads from 1861 to 1890, giving him tremendous power in the Western United States and leaving a lasting impact on California. He also played a significant role as a shareholder and executive in the early history of Pacific Life and Wells Fargo. He was the first Republican governor of California. Stanford is widely considered a robber baron. Provided by Wikipedia