Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Willing, Thomas 1731-1821

Lawyer; born in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 19, 1731; studied law in England, and returning to the United States became manager in 1754 of the Willing & Morris mercantile house, of Philadelphia. Through this firm the government secured naval and military supplies during the Revolutionary War. He was elected mayor of Philadelphia in October, 1763; was an associate justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1767-74; presided at a mass-meeting, June 18, 1774, called for the purpose of organizing a general congress of the colonies; and was made a member of the committee of correspondence. In 1780, when there was a great lack of provisions for the Continental army, he with others contributed £ 260,000 towards the establishment of the Bank of Pennsylvania to provide supplies for the army. In 1781, when the Bank of North America was founded, he became its president, and held the office till Jan. 9, 1792; was also the first president of the United States Bank established in 1791. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 19, 1821.