Low moved to California, entering the shipping business in
San Francisco in 1849. Low became a banker in
Marysville, California from 1854 from 1861. Low presented credentials as a
Republican Member-elect to the
37th Congress but was not permitted to take his seat until a special
act of Congress was passed. He served as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives from June 3, 1862 to March 3, 1863. Low was appointed in 1863 as collector of the
Port of San Francisco, and later that year was
elected the 9th
Governor of California, serving from December 10, 1863 to December 5, 1867. He was the second California governor to live in the
Stanford Mansion as the official residence and office until the opening of the
California State Capitol in 1869. Low was California's last
Civil War governor. Hallmarks of his administration were the establishment of
Yosemite National Park and
University of California. Low was considered the father of the University of California, though his successor,
Henry H. Haight, signed the Charter of the University. Low served as
United States Minister to China from 1869 to 1874. During his tenure, the
Tianjin Massacre occurred, which Low reported back on to the United States. ==Personal life==