Death and Legacy
McKean was a member of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati in 1785 and was subsequently its vice-president. Princeton College gave him the degree of L.L.D. in 1781, Dartmouth College presented the same honor in 1782, and the University of Pennsylvania gave him the degree of A.M. in 1763 and L.L.D. in 1785. With Professor John Wilson he published "Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States" in 1790.
McKean died in Philadelphia and was buried in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery there. In 1843, his body was moved to the Laurel Hill Cemetery, also in Philadelphia. McKean County, Pennsylvania is named in his honor, as is Thomas McKean High School in New Castle County is named in his honor, as is McKean Street in Philadelphia, and the McKean Hall dormitory at the University of Delaware. Penn State University also has a residence hall and a campus road named for him.
McKean was over six feet tall, always wore a large cocked hat and carried a gold-headed cane. He was a man of quick temper and vigorous personality, "with a thin face, hawk's 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 the 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. This is actually close to the truth as McKean and Read belonged to opposing political factions in Delaware. McKeen was portrayed by Bruce MacKay in the original Broadway Cast and Ray Middleton in the film version.
Read more about this topic: Thomas McKean
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