"with a thin face, hawk nose and hot eyes." John Adams described him as "one of the three men in the Continental Congress who appeared to me to see more clearly to the end of the business than any others in the body." As chief justice and governor of Pennsylvania he was frequently the center of controversy. In popular culture In the 1969 Broadway musical, 1776, McKean is portrayed as a gun-toting cantankerous old Scot who cannot get along with the wealthy and conservative planter George Read. In truth, McKean and Read belonged to opposing political factions in Delaware, but McKean was not a Scottish immigrant. His parents were Irish Presbyterians (referred to as "Scotch-Irish" in America and "Ulster Scots" in Northern Ireland). His surname is pronounced mc-CANE but was mispronounced as mc-KEEN in the film adaptation of the musical. McKean was portrayed by Bruce MacKay in the original Broadway cast and Ray Middleton in the 1972 film version. Almanac Delaware elections were held October 1, and members of the General Assembly took office on October 20 or the following weekday. State Assemblymen had a one-year term. The whole General Assembly chose the Continental Congressmen for a one-year term and the State President for a three-year term. Judges of the Courts of Common Pleas were also selected by the General Assembly for the life of the person appointed. McKean served as state president only temporarily, filling the vacancy created by John McKinly's capture and resignation and awaiting the arrival of George Read. Pennsylvania elections were held in October as well. The Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council was created in 1776 and counsellors were popularly elected for three-year terms. A joint ballot of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the council chose the president from among the twelve counsellors for a one-year term. The chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was also selected by the General Assembly and Council for the life of the person appointed. See also Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence References Citations Sources External links Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Biography by Russell Pickett Delaware’s Governors The Political Graveyard Biography by Keith J. McLean Historical Society of Delaware National Park Service Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Thomas McKean Papers, including correspondence related to the American Revolution, are available for research use at