 He served as president of the village of Ithaca in 1828 and 1829.He was elected Surrogate of Tompkins County, New York, and served from March 4, 1831, to January 8, 1834.He was a member from Tompkins County of the New York State Assembly from 1834 to 1836, when he was active in studying prison reform as well as education, and in 1842, and was Speaker in 1835 and 1836.