Ephraim Leister Acker

Ephraim Leister Acker (January 11, 1827 – May 12, 1903) was an American newspaperman, educator, and lawyer who served one term as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1871 to 1873. He was born in Marlborough Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he attended the local common schools and the academy at Sumneytown, a village within his native township. His early education in rural Montgomery County laid the foundation for a career that combined teaching, journalism, public administration, and law.

Acker pursued higher education at Marshall College in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1847. Following his graduation, he worked as a schoolteacher for two years, reflecting an early commitment to education that would later be evident in his public service. Seeking a professional career in the sciences, he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia and completed his medical studies there, graduating in March 1852. Although trained as a physician, he did not pursue a long-term medical practice, instead turning to journalism and educational administration.

In 1853 Acker became editor and publisher of the Norristown Register, a Democratic newspaper based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a position he held from 1853 to 1877. Under his direction, the paper became an important voice in local and regional politics, and his role as editor and publisher established him as a prominent figure in Montgomery County public life. At the same time, he advanced his interest in education by serving as superintendent of the schools of Montgomery County from June 1854 to June 1860, overseeing the administration and development of the county’s public school system during a formative period.

Acker also held several local public offices prior to his congressional service. In March 1860 he was appointed postmaster of Norristown, Pennsylvania, by President James Buchanan, a position that placed him at the center of local federal patronage and communications. His tenure as postmaster was cut short after eleven months when he was removed from the post by President Abraham Lincoln following the change in national administration at the outset of the Civil War. In addition, he served as inspector of the Montgomery County Prison for three years, participating in the oversight of local penal administration.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Pennsylvania, Acker contributed to the legislative process during one term in office. He was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-second Congress and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, in the midst of Reconstruction, when issues of civil rights, federal-state relations, and postwar economic adjustment were at the forefront of national debate. During this time he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Montgomery County constituents in the national legislature. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1872 and thus returned to private life after a single term.

Following his departure from Congress, Acker resumed the publication of the Norristown Register and continued his work as a newspaperman until 1877. In that year he turned his attention to the study of law, undertaking a new professional path later in life. He enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania Law School, from which he graduated in 1886. After completing his legal education, he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Norristown, adding legal work to an already varied career in education, journalism, and public service.

Acker practiced law in Norristown until his death there on May 12, 1903. He was interred in Norris City Cemetery in East Norriton Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His life reflected a broad engagement with civic affairs at the local, county, and national levels, encompassing roles as educator, county school superintendent, federal postmaster, prison inspector, newspaper editor and publisher, member of Congress, and attorney.