John Wesley Davis (April 16, 1799 – August 22, 1859) was an American physician and Democratic politician, active in the mid-1800s. He is best known for serving as

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the ...

, Governor of the Oregon Territory, and as a four-time member of the

Indiana state legislature The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate ...

Early life and education

Davis was born in New Holland, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 1799, and later moved to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, with his parents.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: DAVIS, John Wesley
/ref> Davis graduated from

Baltimore Medical College University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus (formerly Maryland General Hospital) is a hospital in the downtown area of Baltimore, Maryland. The hospital was founded for teaching purposes in 1881 by a group of local doctors. The hospital h ...

in 1821, then moved to

Carlisle, Indiana Carlisle is a town in Haddon Township, Sullivan County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 692 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. Carlisle is home to the Wabash Valley Correctional Fac ...

, in 1823 and practiced medicine there. He married Ann Hoover on November 19, 1820. His daughter, Caroline Davis, married James C. Denny,

Indiana Attorney General The Indiana Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Indiana in the United States. Attorneys General are chosen by a statewide general election to serve for a four-year term. The forty-fourth and Attorney General is Todd Ro ...

(1872-1874). Their son, Frank Lee Denny, was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

who served in the Egyptian Expedition of 1882, the U.S. intervention in Panama in 1885, and the Spanish-American War.

Political career

State politics

Davis started his political career as an unsuccessful candidate for the

Indiana Senate The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year term ...

in 1828. He instead became a state court judge in Indiana from 1829 to 1831. He was elected a member of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House me ...

four times, serving terms beginning in 1831, 1841, 1851, and 1857. He was Speaker of the Indiana House from 1832 to 1833 and again from 1841 to 1842 and 1851 to 1852.

National politics

He served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana in the 24th, 26th, 28th and 29th Congresses and was Speaker of the U.S. House in the 29th Congress. From 1848 to 1850 he was U.S. Diplomatic Commissioner to China. In 1852 he was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

from Indiana.

Governorship

Davis was appointed to the office of Governor of the Oregon Territory in 1853 by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

. 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 Territory George Law Curry.

Death

Davis died in

on August 22, 1859. He was buried at City Cemetery in Carlisle.

References

External links

*
Davis, John Wesley
politicalgraveyard.com

– Short biography and photograph. {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, John Wesley Governors of Oregon Territory Democratic Party Indiana state senators Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Speakers of the Indiana House of Representatives Speakers of the United States House of Representatives Ambassadors of the United States to China People from Sullivan County, Indiana 1799 births 1859 deaths People from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania 19th-century American diplomats Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana People from New Holland, Pennsylvania University of Maryland School of Medicine alumni