John W. Davis | |
|---|---|
 Davis as painted by W.D. Murphy, 1911. | |
| 4th Governor ofOregon Territory | |
| In office May 14, 1853 – August 1, 1854 | |
| Appointed by | Franklin Pierce |
| Preceded by | George Law Curry (acting) |
| Succeeded by | George Law Curry |
| 3rdUnited States Commissioner to the Great Qing Empire | |
| In office January 3, 1848 – May 25, 1850 | |
| Appointed by | James K. Polk |
| Preceded by | Alexander Hill Everett |
| Succeeded by | Humphrey Marshall |
| 17th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office December 1, 1845 – March 4, 1847 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Robert C. Winthrop |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana | |
| In office March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837 March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841 March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1847 | |
| Preceded by | John Ewing (2nd) John Ewing (2nd) David Wallace (6th) |
| Succeeded by | John Ewing (2nd) Richard W. Thompson (2nd) George Grundy Dunn (6th) |
| Constituency | 2nd district (1835–37) 2nd district (1839–41) 6th district (1843–47) |
| Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives | |
| In office December 1, 1851 – March 7, 1852 | |
| Preceded by | Ebenezer Dumont |
| Succeeded by | William Hayden English |
| In office December 6, 1841 – January 31, 1842 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Judah |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Jefferson Henley |
| In office December 3, 1832 – February 4, 1833 | |
| Preceded by | Harbin H. Moore |
| Succeeded by | Nathan B. Palmer |
| Member of theIndiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1831 1841 1851 1857 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Wesley Davis (1799-04-16)April 16, 1799 |
| Died | August 22, 1859(1859-08-22) (aged 60) |
| Resting place | City Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Jacksonian |
| Alma mater | UMB |
| Occupation | Doctor |
| Profession | Physician |
| Committees | Committee on Public Lands |
John Wesley Davis (April 16, 1799 – August 22, 1859) was an American physician andDemocratic politician, active in the mid-1800s. He is best known for serving asSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives, Governor of theOregon Territory, and as a four-time member of theIndiana state legislature.
Davis was born inNew Holland, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 1799, and later moved toShippensburg, Pennsylvania, with his parents.[1][2] Davis graduated fromBaltimore Medical College in 1821, then moved toCarlisle, Indiana, in 1823 and practiced medicine there.[2] He married Ann Hoover on November 19, 1820.
His daughter, Caroline Davis, marriedJames C. Denny,Indiana Attorney General (1872–1874). Their son, Frank Lee Denny, was acolonel of theU.S. Marine Corps who served in theEgyptian Expedition of 1882, theU.S. intervention in Panama in 1885, and theSpanish–American War.[3]
Davis started his political career as an unsuccessful candidate for theIndiana Senate in 1828. He instead became a state court judge in Indiana from 1829 to 1831. He was elected a member of theIndiana House of Representatives four times, serving terms beginning in 1831, 1841, 1851, and 1857.[1] He was Speaker of the Indiana House from 1832 to 1833 and again from 1841 to 1842 and 1851 to 1852.[1]
He served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana in the24th,26th,28th and29th Congresses and was Speaker of the U.S. House in the29th Congress.[1] From 1848 to 1850 he was U.S. Diplomatic Commissioner to China.[1] In 1852 he was a delegate to theDemocratic National Convention from Indiana.[1]
Davis was appointed to the office of Governor of theOregon Territory in 1853 by PresidentFranklin Pierce.[2] His appointment was not welcomed by Oregonians, however, and he left office just over a year later, with the position returning to his predecessor, Secretary of the TerritoryGeorge Law Curry.
Davis died inCarlisle, Indiana on August 22, 1859.[1] He was buried at City Cemetery in Carlisle.[1]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 2nd congressional district 1835-1837 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 2nd congressional district 1839-1841 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 6th congressional district 1843-1847 | Succeeded by |
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| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
| Chiefs of the U.S. Liaison Office inBeijing | ||
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
See also:American Institute in Taiwan | ||
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