William M. Kaufman, Iron Manufacturer, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, July 24th, 1834, and is the son of John G. Kaufman, of Leesport, who is also extensively engaged in the same business. He was educated in various schools, including Buckman's Academy at Clermont, continuing a pupil after it was removed to White Hall, near Bristol, and he completed his studies at the Seminary in Norristown, Pennsylvania, presided over by the Rev. Samuel Aaron. At the age of fifteen he left school, and went into the dry-goods business with Darrah & Jones at Leesport, Berks county, with whom he remained three years, and then obtained a position as clerk at Moselem and Leesport Furnaces, where he continued for four years. When he was twenty-two years old he engaged in the iron business, on his own account, at the Mount Penn Furnace, in Berks county, which he conducted for six years. He next removed to Sheridan, Lebanon county, and began the manufacture of pig-iron at the furnace, in February, 1863, this establishment having commenced operations in September, 1862; there he continues to reside. For seven years he was a Director of the Farmers' Bank of Reading; and was one of the corporators of the Jamestown Bank in Lebanon county when it organized, in October, 1873, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the same. Although no politician whatever, he was nominated, in 1872, and elected in the fall of that year a member of the Legislature, and re-elected in 1873. He served during both sessions of 1873 and 1874 as a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, and also on other important committees, and was Chairman of that on Coal and Iron. During the latter session he did good service to the State as a member of the Committee on Constitutional Reform, always supporting in the most earnest manner all propositions calculated to secure to the people the full benefits of all that was good in the New Constitution. He was also selected as Senatorial Delegate to the State Convention of 1872, which nominated General Hartranft as Governor. As may be inferred, he is of the Republican school in political faith, and the compliment paid him by his constituents in his re-election, both nominations being entirely unsolicited on his part, is a sure criterion of his being the right man in the right place, and of his fidelity to their interests.
Source: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania of the Nineteenth Century. Philadelphia: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1874, pp. 402-403.
Contributed by: Nancy.