John Downey Works (March 29, 1847June 6, 1928) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

representing

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

from 1911 to 1917, and an associate justice of the

California Supreme Court The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sac ...

from October 2, 1888, to January 5, 1891.

Biography

Works was born in

Ohio County, Indiana Ohio County is a County (United States), county located in southeastern Indiana. With a 2020 population of 5,940, and an area of just 87 square miles, Ohio County is the smallest county in Indiana by area and the least populous. The county seat ...

, and attended public schools there. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, he served as a member of the 10th Regiment of the Indiana Cavalry. Once discharged, he returned home,

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

and in 1868 was admitted to the Indiana bar. In November 1878, he was elected as a representative in the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the U.S. 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 Sena ...

, serving during the 1879 term. In June 1883, he published a book of practice, pleading and forms to match the revised code of Indiana. In 1883, Works's poor health forced a move to

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, where he became active in the Republican Party, and rose in California politics. In September 1886, he ran on the Republican ticket, and prior to the election was appointed by Governor Robert Waterman as a judge of the San Diego County Superior Court. In September 1887, he resigned to return to private practice, and Governor Waterman appointed Edwin Parker to fill the vacant seat. In 1888, Governor Waterman appointed Works as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court to fill a vacancy after the resignation of Elisha W. McKinstry. In August 1888, the Republican Party nominated Works and he was elected to the remaining portion of McKinstry's term ending January 5, 1891. In 1891, after stepping down from the bench, Works became president of the San Diego Sun company, and then returned to private practice with his son in the firm of Works & Works in San Diego. In January 1896, Works moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. In 1903, Works served as President of the

Los Angeles County Bar Association The Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) is a voluntary bar association with more than 16,000 members throughout Los Angeles County, California, and the world. Founded in 1878, LACBA has strived to meet the professional needs of lawyers, ...

. On December 7, 1909, he was elected as a member of the

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the Legislature, lawmaking body for the Government of Los Angeles, city government of Los Angeles, California, the second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council ...

, and chosen as its president, but he resigned shortly after on March 22, 1910. In

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

, Works was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served on the committee on Expenditures in the War Department (

Sixty-second United States Congress The 62nd 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 March 4, 1911, t ...

) and the Committee on Fisheries. In February 1917, he and other Progressive Senators, under the moniker "twelve willful men," blocked by

filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...

legislation empowering President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

to arm merchant vessels prior to the United States entering

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Works did not seek renomination to his Senate seat in 1916. The Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for U.S. senators to be elected by the people instead of state legislatures, had been adopted in 1913 but allowed senators serving at the time to finish their terms. Works was the last U.S. senator from California to be elected by the Legislature. After retiring from the Senate he wrote two books: ''Duty to Man: A Study of Social Conditions and How They May Be Improved'' (1919) and ''What's Wrong With the World?'' (1922). On June 6, 1928, he died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and his ashes were placed in

Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there. History The proposed establishment of "the larges ...

Personal life

On November 7, 1868, he married Alice Banta, in

Vevay, Indiana Vevay ( ) is a town located in Jefferson Township and the county seat of Switzerland County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,741 at the 2020 census. History The first settlers who arrived in 1802 were Swiss im ...

, and they had two sons, Thomas L. and Louis R., who became an attorney and practiced with his father, and later the presiding justice of the

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

, Second Division; as well as five daughters: Josephine (who died as an infant), Ida, Laura, Ethel and Isabel. He is said to have been a member of the

Church of Christ, Scientist The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Mary Baker Eddy, author of '' Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,'' and founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word and ...

.The Political Graveyard: Christian Scientist Politicians
at politicalgraveyard.com

Notes

Selected publications

* Works, John D. (1919)
Man's Duty to Man: A Study of Social Conditions and How They May Be Improved
New York: Neale Publishing Co.
Online books by John D. Works
Library of the University of Pennsylvania.

External links

Guide to the John D. Works Papers
at

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library is the primary special-collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity. ...

John D. Works
California Supreme Court Historical Society.
''John D. Works v. Superior Court''
130 Cal. 304, 62 P. 507 (Cal. 1900).

California State Courts. Retrieved July 19, 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Works, John Downey 1847 births 1928 deaths People from Rising Sun, Indiana American Christian Scientists California Republicans Republican Party United States senators from California Justices of the Supreme Court of California Superior court judges in the United States U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century California state court judges 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly Politicians from San Diego Presidents of the Los Angeles City Council People of Indiana in the American Civil War Union army soldiers Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery California state court judges 20th-century United States senators