John J. Jacob | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th Governor of West Virginia | |
| In office March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | William E. Stevenson |
| Succeeded by | Henry M. Mathews |
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office 1868, 1879 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1829-12-09)December 9, 1829 |
| Died | November 24, 1893(1893-11-24) (aged 63) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jane Baird |
| Profession | Politician |
| Signature |  |
John Jeremiah Jacob (December 9, 1829 – November 24, 1893) was an AmericanDemocratic politician fromGreen Spring in (Hampshire County), in theU.S. state ofWest Virginia. Jacob served two terms as the fourthgovernor of West Virginia from 1871 to 1877. He was also elected to theWest Virginia House of Delegates from Hampshire County in 1868 and fromOhio County in 1879.
John Jeremiah Jacob was born inGreen Spring, Virginia on thePotomac River, north ofRomney. Jacob's Hampshire County roots made him the first of West Virginia's governors to be born within the present-day borders of the state. He attended theRomney Academy in Romney andDickinson College inCarlisle, Pennsylvania.
Jacob practiced law and taught school in Hampshire County before accepting a teaching position at theUniversity of Missouri in 1853. In 1858, he marriedJane Baird.[1] Jacob worked as an attorney in Missouri during theAmerican Civil War and returned to Romney after the war in 1865 to establish a law practice. In 1868, he was elected to theWest Virginia House of Delegates.
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "John J. Jacob" West Virginia politician – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Jacob was elected governor in1870 to a two-year term making him the first of six consecutive Democratic governors. He supported the elimination of all remaining legislation that discriminated against formerConfederates. Jacob also presided over the establishment of new facilities to care for the mentally handicapped and the creation of statewide schools, known as normal schools, to train teachers. Most of these schools still exist as part of the state college system.
During Jacob's tenure as governor, West Virginia's state constitution was re-written. Moderates and former Confederate supporters themselves believed the original 1863 constitution was too biased in favor of pro-Union supporters. A new constitutional convention, controlled by Democrats, met inCharleston in 1872. The new constitution restricted the power of the legislature and expanded the governor's term in office from two to four years, but prohibiting consecutive terms (effective with the 1876 election).
In1872,Í Jacob was denied re-nomination by the Democratic Party, which was controlled by industrialistJohnson N. Camden. Jacob ran on thead hoc "People's Independent" ticket with Republican support. He was re-elected by 2,400 votes over Camden, whom the Democrats had nominated in Jacob's place, for a four-year term.[2] Camden's men controlled the legislature, however, and passed "ripper" laws that stripped Jacob of his appointment powers.
In 1875, the state government moved from Charleston and returned the capital toWheeling inOhio County. After Jacob left the governor's office, he remained in Wheeling and served once again in the West Virginia House of Delegates, this time from Ohio County, in 1879. He also served as the county's circuit judge from 1881 to 1888. Jacob continued to practice law in Wheeling until his death in 1893, aged 63.
Media related toJohn J. Jacob at Wikimedia Commons
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of West Virginia 1870 | Succeeded by Johnson N. Camden |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of West Virginia Endorsed 1872 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of West Virginia 1871–1877 | Succeeded by |
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
