Charles Thompson

Charles Thomson (1729-1824), from Philadelphia, was secretary of the Continental Congress between 1774 and 1789 when the newly created federal government came to power. As noted by the Library of Congress web site:

Delegates came and went, but Thomson remained, faithfully recording the debates and decisions that shaped the infant government. Known for his fairness and integrity, the 'perpetual secretary' provided the continuity and institutional memory so vital to a Congress whose members were ever-changing.