Born in 1849, the successful St. Paul banker was the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives when a fissure within the state Republican Party led him to a surprise nomination and election for governor in 1888.

Merriam won reelection in a tight three-party race four years later, and was a strong supporter of William McKinley’s presidential campaign in 1896. When McKinley picked Merriam to be superintendent of the 1900 census, many critics cried foul. They complained that the former governor had no statistical experience and had been awarded the position only as a favor for his earlier support. McKinley, however, thought that Merriam’s business experience was just as valuable as statistical experience in leading a census.

Merriam was the first leader of the Census Bureau, guiding the office’s transition from a temporary to a permanent agency in 1902. Merriam set a precedent for the director’s office imitated by many of his followers by focusing on external issues while leaving technical operations to the experts. He retired to Florida, dying there in 1931.