Alonzo Barton Hepburn (July 24, 1846 – January 25, 1922) was an American politician from New York, famed for being the Chairman of the New York State Legislature's eponymous Hepburn Committee of 1879 that investigated the operations of what became known later as the Railroad Trust based in New York State. He was Comptroller of the Currency from 1892 to 1893. Early life Hepburn was born on a farm in Colton, St. Lawrence County, New York on July 24, 1846. He was the youngest of four sons born to Zina Earl Hepburn (1798–1874) and Beulah (née Gray) Hepburn (1807–1900). His maternal uncle was a founder of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. He attended St. Lawrence Academy and the Fuller Academy at Oswego before attending Middlebury College where he graduated in 1871; later serving as a trustee. In 1906 he was given an honorary degree by St. Lawrence University. Career In 1871, he returned to St. Lawrence Academy (today's St. Lawrence University) where he became a Professor of Mathematics before serving as Principal of Ogdensburg Educational Institute and was elected school commissioner, while studying law. New York State Assembly He was elected as a Republican to be a member of the New York State Assembly (St. Lawrence Co., 2nd D.) in 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878 and 1879. While serving in the Assembly, Hepburn was directed by the New York State Legislature in 1879 to investigate the railroads' practice of giving rebates within the state. Merchants without ties to the oil industry had pressed for the hearings. Prior to the committee's investigation, few knew of the size of Standard Oil's control and influence on seemingly unaffiliated oil refineries and pipelines, with only a dozen or so within Standard Oil knew the extent of company operations. The committee counsel, Simon Sterne, questioned representatives from the Erie Railroad and the New York Central Railroad and discovered that at least half of their long-haul traffic granted rebates, and that much of this traffic came from Standard Oil. The committee then shifted focus to Standard Oil's operations. John Dustin Archbold, as president of Acme Oil Company, denied that Acme was associated with Standard Oil. He then admitted to being a director of Standard Oil. The committee's final report scolded the railroads for their rebate policies and cited Standard Oil as an example. This scolding was largely moot to Standard Oil's interests since long-distance oil pipelines were now their