John J. Cornwell
John J. Cornwell | |
---|---|
Governor of West Virginia | |
In office March 5, 1917 – March 4, 1921 | |
Preceded by | Henry D. Hatfield |
Succeeded by | Ephraim F. Morgan |
Member of the West Virginia Senate | |
In office 1899–1905 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Ritchie County, West Virginia | July 11, 1867
Died | September 8, 1953 Cumberland, Maryland | (aged 86)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Edna Brady Cornwell |
Profession | Politician |
John Jacob Cornwell (July 11, 1867 – September 8, 1953) was a
Background
John Jacob Cornwell was born on a farm near the community of
In 1890, Cornwell and his brother, William B. Cornwell, acquired the Romney Hampshire Review and assumed the roles of publishers and editors of the newspaper. In 1892, he married Edna Brady.[2] In 1897, Cornwell and his brother bought out the competing paper, the South Branch Intelligencer, adding its name and 1829 founding date to the Review's masthead.
Political Office
Cornwell was admitted to the bar in 1898 and served as a state senator from 1899 to 1905. He was defeated in his first gubernatorial bid by
One month after Cornwell took office as governor, the United States entered World War I and due in part to his efforts, West Virginia had one of the highest percentages of volunteers of any state. Also during his term, the state reached an agreement on a public debt figure owed to Virginia since West Virginia's statehood in 1863. Cornwell advocated strengthening the mining code, the creation of a state board of education, and the establishment of the West Virginia Department of Public Safety, now officially known as the West Virginia State Police. He supported women's suffrage, adding it to the agenda for a special session of the legislature in February 1920. West Virginia became the 34th state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women nationwide the right to vote.[3]
Cornwell's term was marked by growing labor unrest in the coal industry of southern West Virginia. He discouraged an armed miners' march in 1919 by assuring them he would address their grievances. His failure to handle the situation led to increased violence, including the infamous shootout between miners and coal company guards in Matewan, Mingo County.
After leaving office in 1921, Cornwell served as a director and general counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Death
Upon retirement, Cornwell lived at his home on Main Street in Romney. He contracted pneumonia and died at Cumberland Memorial Hospital in Cumberland, Maryland on September 8, 1953. Cornwell is interred with his wife and son in Romney's Indian Mound Cemetery. His descendants continue to run the Hampshire Review today.
John J. Cornwell Elementary School in Levels, West Virginia was named for him, in honor of his teaching background and strong support of education in the state.
References
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20081212055830/http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp
- ^ "West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.
- ^ Effland, Anne B. W. "Women's Suffrage". The West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
External links
Media related to John J. Cornwell at Wikimedia Commons