John T. Towers

John Thomas Towers (* 1811 in Alexandria , Virginia , † August 11, 1857 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician . Between 1854 and 1856 he was Mayor of Washington, DC

Career

John Towers was the son of English immigrants. He completed an apprenticeship in the printing trade. By 1852 he ran several bookstores and printing houses in Washington. Since 1834 he was a member of the Columbia Typographical Society . Politically, he joined the Whig Party . After its dissolution in the early 1850s, he became a member of the Know-Nothing Party . He also served on Washington City Council for many years. In 1852, Towers was named head of the Federal Printing Office in Washington by President Millard Fillmore .

In 1854, Towers was elected mayor of the federal capital, Washington, against incumbent John Walker Maury . He held this office between June 12, 1854 and June 9, 1856. It is worth noting that until 1871 the mayor of Washington did not administer the entire District of Columbia . The then independent city of Georgetown provided its own mayor until 1871. In 1856 he declined to run again. He died the following year and was buried in the Washington Convention Cemetery.

Web links

predecessor	Office	successor
John Walker Maury	Mayor of Washington 1854–1856	William B. Magruder

personal data
SURNAME	Towers, John T.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Towers, John Thomas (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	1811
PLACE OF BIRTH	Alexandria , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH	August 11, 1857
Place of death	Washington, DC