AHGP Transcription Project
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John W. Stevenson
Ex-Gov. John W. Stevenson was born May 4, 1812, in Richmond, Virginia, the only son of Andrew Stevenson and Mary Page White. His father was a member of the Virginia legislature for several sessions, and speaker of the house; was a representative in congress from 1821 to 1834, and for the last seven years speaker; and minister to England, 1836-41. The son was educated at Hampden Sidney College and at the University of Virginia; read law with Willoughby Newton, a distinguished Virginia lawyer, agriculturist, and ex-M. C.; practiced for several years at Vicksburg, Mississippi; removed to Covington, Kentucky, in 1841, and was the partner of Jefferson Phelps, one of the leaders of that bar, until the death of the latter, November 11, 1843; represented Kenton County in the Kentucky legislature, 1845, '46, and '48, and in the convention which formed the present constitution, 1849; was a member of the Democratic national conventions of 1848, 1852, and 1856; chosen presidential elector in 1856; one of three commissioners to revise the Kentucky code of practice, 1850-51; representative in congress for four years, 1857-61; on the Democratic ticket, and elected lieutenant governor, 1867-71, but in consequence of the death, five days after his inauguration, of Gov. Helm, was installed governor, September 13, 1867; was elected governor to fill the vacancy, August, 1868, to September, 1871, by 88,965 majority over R. Tarvin Baker, the Republican candidate; December 15, 1869, was elected U. S. senator for six years from March 4, 1871-77; February 13, 1871, resigned the office of governor, and is now (February, 1873,) serving his term as U. S. senator. Governor S. has for many years been a vestryman of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and repeatedly a delegate in the Ky. State Convention, and also in the General Conventions of that denomination. He is one of the very ablest and most distinguished of the living lawyers and statesmen of Kentucky, and has worthily earned the high consideration which he has so liberally received.
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