John R. Rogers | |
|---|---|
 Rogersc. 1897–1901 | |
| 3rdGovernor of Washington | |
| In office January 13, 1897 – December 26, 1901 | |
| Lieutenant | Thurston Daniels Henry McBride |
| Preceded by | John H. McGraw |
| Succeeded by | Henry McBride |
| Member of theWashington House of Representatives from the33rd district | |
| In office January 14, 1895 – January 11, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | John O. Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Joseph C. Kincaid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Rankin Rogers (1838-09-04)September 4, 1838 Brunswick, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | December 26, 1901(1901-12-26) (aged 63) Olympia, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (1900–1901) |
| Other political affiliations | Populist (until 1900) |
| Spouse | Sarah L. Greene (1840–1909) |
| Profession | druggist, educator, farmer, politician |
| Signature |  |
John Rankin Rogers (September 4, 1838 – December 26, 1901) was an American politician who served as thethird governor of Washington from 1897 to 1901. Elected as a member of thePeople's Party before switching his affiliation to theDemocratic Party, Rogers was elected to two consecutive terms in 1896 and 1900, but died before completing his fifth year in office.
John R. Rogers was born September 4, 1838, inBrunswick, Maine, the son of Margaret Anne (Green) and John Rogers.[1]
Rogers went toBoston as a youth and apprenticed as adruggist, then moved south toMississippi in 1856 to manage a drug store for four years inJackson. He moved north toIllinois in 1860, where he farmed and worked as a school teacher and druggist. He married Sarah Greene in 1861 and together they had five children.[2]
In 1876 the family relocated toKansas to farm and Rogers was later an editor of theKansas Commoner for several years inWichita, and was an organizer within theFarmers' Alliance.
Rogers moved to Washington in 1890 and settled inPuyallup, where he operated a drug store, invested in real estate and eventually became involved in local politics.[3]
Rogers was elected to theWashington House of Representatives in 1895 as a Populist,[4] and governor the following year. As governor he supported the "Barefoot Schoolboy Act" which he had first sponsored while in the state legislature.[3] The Act provided a mechanism of state funding to equalize support for free public education between counties which had a large tax base and those without. Rogers was a conditional supporter of theSingle Tax Movement associated withHenry George.[5] He switched his affiliation to the Democratic Party in 1900 (he was the first Democrat to serve as governor; Ernest Lister would be the first politician from the state to be elected outright as a Democrat in 1913).
John R. Rogers authored many books, pamphlets and articles[2] that followed a Populist and Arcadian Agrarian spirit. Growing up inNew England whenJeffersonian ideals were talked about frequently was a strong influence on his political future.
Rogers served as governor from January 11, 1897, until his death fromlobar pneumonia on December 26, 1901, at age 63.[2]Rogers is buried in the Woodbine Cemetery inPuyallup.
Two high schools in the state are named for Rogers, on either side of theCascade Mountains.John R. Rogers High School inSpokane inEastern Washington opened in 1932 andGovernor John R. Rogers High School inPuyallup opened in 1968.
Rogers Field, thefootball and track stadium atWashington State University inPullman, was named for him in 1902. A fire, a suspectedarson, significantly damaged the wooden stadium in April 1970.[6] The stadium was reconstructed in 1972 and its name changed toMartin Stadium, afterClarence D. Martin, the eleventh governor of Washington (ironically, a graduate of theUniversity of Washington). The present-day Rogers Field at WSU refers to the practice and intramural fields directly west of the stadium.
A granite statue of Rogers is inSylvester Park, across the street from theOld Capitol Building, with the following quote engraved:
"I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."[7][3]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cyrus W. Young | Populist nominee forGovernor of Washington 1896 | Succeeded by None |
| Vacant Title last held by Henry J. Snively | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Washington 1900 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Washington 1897–1901 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
