John Wolcott Stewart

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John Wolcott Stewart

John Wolcott Stewart (born November 24, 1825 in Middlebury , Addison County , Vermont , †  October 29, 1915 ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1870 to 1872 . Stewart was also a member of both chambers of the US Congress .

Early years and political advancement

John Stewart attended Middlebury Academy until 1846 . After a subsequent law degree and his admission to the Bar Association in 1850, he began to work as a lawyer in Middlebury. From 1852 to 1854 he was a district attorney in Addison County.

Stewart became a member of the Republican Party . This party has dominated Vermont politics since the late 1850s. Stewart was first elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1856 . Until 1867 he was a member of this body several times with interruptions; from 1865 to 1867 he was president of this chamber. In between he was a member of the State Senate from 1861 to 1862 . In 1860, Stewart was a delegate to the Republican National Convention , at which Abraham Lincoln was nominated as a presidential candidate. Stewart played an important role in the transfer of the Vermont delegation to Lincoln's side. Originally, this was supported by William H. Seward .

Vermont Governor and Congressman

In 1870, Stewart was elected the new governor of his state against the Democrat Homer Wallace Heaton. He took up his new office on October 6, 1870. Stewart was the first Vermont governor to be elected to a two-year term following a constitutional amendment. Previously, the governors' term of office was limited to one year, albeit with the option of subsequent re-election. Stewart's tenure as governor was uneventful. In 1872 he was not nominated for re-election by his party. In 1876 he returned to the House of Representatives of his state, where he was again President of the Chamber. Between March 4, 1883 and March 3, 1891, he was a member of the US House of Representatives for four terms . In 1890 he turned down another candidacy.

Stewart in the US Senate and further résumé

Upon his return from Washington , Stewart became a director and president of Middlebury Bank and was involved in other business ventures. After the death of Senator Redfield Proctor in March 1908, John Stewart was sent by then Governor Fletcher D. Proctor , the son of the late Senator, as acting successor to the US Senate . There he represented the interests of his state between March 24 and October 21, 1908. He was then replaced by Carroll Smalley Page . After the end of his tenure in the Senate, Stewart retired from politics. He devoted himself to his private and business interests and died in 1915 shortly before his 90th birthday. John Stewart had five children with his wife, Emma Battell.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Stewart, John Wolcott
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH November 24, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH Middlebury , Vermont
DATE OF DEATH October 29, 1915
Place of death Middlebury , Vermont