Robert P. Letcher

Robert P. Letcher
16th United States Ambassador to Mexico
In office 1849–1852
President	Zachary Taylor
Preceded by	Nathan Clifford
Succeeded by	Robert Greenhow
15th Governor of Kentucky
In office September 2, 1840 – September 4, 1844
Lieutenant	Manlius Valerius Thomson
Preceded by	Charles A. Wickliffe
Succeeded by	William Owsley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 4th district
In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1833
Preceded by	Thomas Metcalfe
Succeeded by	Martin Beaty
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 5th district
In office August 6, 1834 – March 3, 1835
Preceded by	Richard Mentor Johnson
Succeeded by	James Harlan
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office 1813–1815 1817–1821
Personal details
Born	(1788-02-10)February 10, 1788 Goochland County, Virginia
Died	January 24, 1861(1861-01-24) (aged 72) Frankfort, Kentucky
Resting place	Frankfort Cemetery
Political party	Democratic Republican, National Republican Party, Whig
Spouse(s)	Mary Oden Epps Charlotte Robertson
Profession	Lawyer

Robert Perkins Letcher (February 10, 1788 – January 24, 1861) was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly where he was Speaker of the House in 1837 and 1838. A strong supporter of the Whig Party, he was a friend of Henry Clay and John J. Crittenden.

Letcher's family came to Kentucky around 1800. Letcher attended the private academy of Joshua Fry, then studied law. He was briefly a judge advocate in John Allen's volunteer militia during the War of 1812. He began his political career in 1813, representing Garrard County in the Kentucky House of Representatives. In 1823, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for more than a decade. During the 1824 presidential election, he acted as an intermediary between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. Adams' opponent, Andrew Jackson, charged that, through these negotiations, Clay agreed to support Adams for president in exchange for being named Secretary of State.

In 1840, Letcher was chosen as the Whig nominee for governor of Kentucky over William Owsley. In the general election, Letcher won by landslide over Judge Richard French. Letcher's fiscally conservative policies helped Kentucky recover from the financial Panic of 1837. By the end of his term, the state was experiencing budget surpluses and state banks had resumed specie payments. After Letcher left office, he was appointed Minister to Mexico by President Zachary Taylor. Following this, he made an attempt to return to the U.S. House, but was defeated by Democrat John C. Breckinridge. Letcher's defeat in Henry Clay's home district was a strong indication of the decline of Whig influence in Kentucky. Though he remained active in politics, Letcher never again sought public office. He died on January 24, 1861, at the age of seventy-two.