Augustus Drum

Augustus Drum (November 26, 1815 – September 15, 1858) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he spent most of his life. Drum received his early education through private instruction and later attended Greensburg Academy, a local institution that prepared him for advanced study. Demonstrating academic promise, he went on to Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (now Washington & Jefferson College), from which he graduated before embarking on a legal career.

After completing his formal education, Drum studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1836. He commenced the practice of law in his native Greensburg, establishing himself as a local attorney at a relatively young age. In addition to his legal work, he became active in public affairs and held several local offices, building a reputation in the community and within the Democratic Party. His growing prominence in local and state politics laid the groundwork for his later legislative service.

Drum’s political career advanced to the state level when he was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate, where he served in 1852 and 1853. As a state senator, he participated in the legislative process during a period of expanding infrastructure, economic development, and intensifying national debate over slavery and sectional issues. His service in the State Senate further solidified his standing within the Democratic Party and positioned him for national office.

Drum was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress, serving a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. His term in Congress placed him in Washington during a significant period in American history, as the nation grappled with sectional tensions and the political realignments that preceded the Civil War. As a member of the Democratic Party representing Pennsylvania, Augustus Drum contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in the House of Representatives.

In 1854, Drum was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to Congress, losing his bid to continue in national office as political currents shifted in Pennsylvania and across the country. Following his departure from Congress, he returned to Greensburg and resumed the practice of law. He continued to be a figure in local affairs until his death in Greensburg on September 15, 1858. Augustus Drum was interred in St. Clair Cemetery in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, closing a career that spanned local, state, and national public service.