John Stephens Wood (February 8, 1885 – September 12, 1968) was an American attorney and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from the state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States. He served as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, 1931–1935 and 1945–1953.

Early life, education and career

Wood was born on a farm near Ball Ground,

Cherokee County, Georgia Cherokee County is located in the US state of Georgia. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 266,620. The county seat is Canton. The county Board of Commissioners is the governing body, with members elected to office. Cherokee County is inc ...

, February 8, 1885. He attended the public schools and graduated from North Georgia Agricultural College in

Dahlonega The city of Dahlonega () is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884. Dahlonega is located at the north end of ...

. He earned his law degree from

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

in Macon in 1910. He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced the practice of law in

Jasper County, Georgia Jasper County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,588, up from 13,900 in 2010. The county seat is Monticello. Jasper County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs ...

Career

In 1915, Wood turned up at the scene of the lynching of

Leo Frank Leo Max Frank (April 17, 1884August 17, 1915) was an American factory superintendent who was convicted in 1913 of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in Atlanta, Georgia. His trial, conviction, and appeals attracted national at ...

, Jewish factory owner in Atlanta, with Judge Newt Morris on the morning after the murder. He drove the vehicle in which Frank's body was conveyed to the undertaker. Whether he had any prior knowledge of or involvement with the lynching is open to dispute, as he and Morris may have been simply trying to ensure Frank's body had a decent burial.

Harry Golden Harry Lewis Golden (May 6, 1902 – October 2, 1981) was an American writer and newspaper publisher. Early life Golden was born Herschel Goldhirsch (or Goldenhurst) in the shtetl Mikulintsy, Austria-Hungary. His mother Nuchama (nee Klein) was R ...

, ''A Little Girl is Dead'' pp. 294–295 Entering politics, Wood was a member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...

in 1917; served as Solicitor General of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, 1921–1925. He was elected as a Superior Court Judge, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, 1925–1931. In 1931, Wood was elected as a

from

Georgia's 9th congressional district Georgia's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is represented by Republican Andrew Clyde, who succeeded fellow Republican Doug Collins. The district is mostly rural an ...

to the 72nd United States Congress and was reelected to the 73rd Congress (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1935). He was unsuccessful in seeking renomination in 1934 and resumed the practice of law. Ten years later, in 1944, Wood was elected to the

79th United States Congress The 79th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945, ...

serving until the

82nd Congress The 82nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1 ...

(January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1953). As chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, he had a prominent role in investigating the

American Communist Party The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

and the entertainment industry; the committee charged 10 persons with contempt of Congress for refusing to testify, and their careers and reputations were severely damaged in what was called the

Hollywood Blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying empl ...

. Wood was criticized for failing to investigate the Ku Klux Klan in the same period, as it was expanding in chapters in opposition to civil rights activism by

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

Later years

Wood did not seek reelection in 1952 and he resumed the practice of law in

Canton, Georgia Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958, up from 7,709 in 2000. Geography Canton is located near the center of Cherokee County at (34.22730 ...

. Finally, failing health forced his retirement. Wood died in

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth larges ...

, September 12, 1968, and was interred in Arlington Memorial Park,

Sandy Springs, Georgia Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, John Stephens 1885 births 1968 deaths People from Cherokee County, Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Georgia (U.S. state) state court judges Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Mercer University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers American anti-communists

Early life, education and career

Career

Later years

See also

References

External links