John Davis Fatheree (April 9, 1879 – July 30, 1964) was a lawyer, politician, and judge in Mississippi. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate, including as President of the Mississippi Senate for the 1920 term.[1] He served two terms as mayor of Quitman, Mississippi.[2] He was a lawyer in Clarke County and a circuit judge.[3] He was a Democrat.
John Fatheree | |
|---|---|
 c. 1923 | |
| President pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate | |
| In office January 6, 1920 – January 1922 | |
| Preceded by | Carroll Kendrick |
| Succeeded by | Fred B. Smith |
| Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 6, 1920 – January 1922 | |
| Preceded by | John W. White |
| Succeeded by | William Edwards |
| In office January 1912 – January 1916 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Whitman Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John W. White |
| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the Clarke County district Clarke and Jasper Counties (1908–1912) | |
| In office January 1924 – 1927 | |
| In office January 1908 – January 1912 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 9, 1879 De Soto, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | July 30, 1964 (aged 85) Quitman, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Early life
editJohn Davis Fatheree was born on April 9, 1879, near De Soto, Mississippi.[1] He was the son of John Ware Fatheree, a Confederate States Army soldier of French Huguenot descent wounded at the Siege of Petersburg, and his wife Louisa (Sellers) Fatheree.[1] John Davis Fatheree attended the "common schools" of his native Clarke County.[1] He then attended Millsaps College where he studied law, graduating on May 9, 1902.[1] Later that month, Fatheree was admitted to the bar and began practicing law.[1]
Political career
edit1907-1919
editOn November 5, 1907, Fatheree was elected to represent Clarke and Jasper Counties as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives for a four-year term spanning from 1908 to 1912.[4] During this term, Fatheree served on the following House committees: Ways and Means; Immigration and Labor; Judiciary; and Public Lands.[5] On November 7, 1911, Fatheree was elected to represent the 3rd District in the Mississippi State Senate for the 1912–1916 term.[5] During this term, Fatheree was the Chairman of the Senate's Public Lands Committee, and also served on the following committees: Corporations; Judiciary; To Investigate State Officers; Constitution; Fisheries and Game; and State Library.[1] During World War I, Fatheree served as a Captain in the U. S. Infantry.[2]
1919-1922
editIn November 1919, Fatheree was re-elected to the 3rd District of the State Senate for the 1920–1924 term.[1] On January 6, 1920, the first day of the session, the election for President pro tempore was held.[6] Fatheree was nominated for the office alongside William Gwin Kiger and William J. East.[6] No candidate received an absolute majority vote for the first five ballots.[6] After the fifth ballot, Kiger's name was dropped from the list as he had the least votes in that ballot (14 compared to 15 each for East and Fatheree).[6] In the sixth ballot, Fatheree defeated East with a 28-16 vote, and was elected President Pro Tempore for the 1920–1924 term.[6][1] During this term, he served on the Conference Committee in the Mississippi Senate.[7] In 1921, Fatheree ran for the position of Circuit Court judge, and proceeded to win the election.[1] Fatheree then resigned from his Senate position, and William Edwards was elected to replace him in the 3rd District.[1] Frederick Brougher Smith replaced Fatheree as President pro tempore for the 1922 session.[1]
1924-1964
editIn 1923, Fatheree was elected to represent Clarke County in the Mississippi House of Representatives for the 1924–1928 term.[8] During this term, Fatheree was the Chairman of the Senate's Committee on County Affairs.[8] In 1926, Fatheree was elected Circuit Court Judge for the 10th District.[8] He was sworn in to the position in 1927.[8] He served as a Circuit Judge for a total of three terms.[2] He served for two terms as the mayor of Quitman, Mississippi.[2] He continued practicing law in Clarke County until his retirement in 1954.[2]
Fatheree died at his home in Quitman, Mississippi, on July 30, 1964.[2] He was survived by a daughter and two sisters.[2]
Personal life
editFatheree belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rowland, Dunbar (January 16, 1923). "The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, 1920-24". Hederman bros. pp. 102, 111–112 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Judge Fatheree dies; funeral Saturday". Hattiesburg American. July 31, 1964. p. 11 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Judge Fatheree Dies". The Clarke County Tribune. July 31, 1964. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Rowland, Dunbar (1908). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Department of Archives and History. p. 370.
- ^ a b Rowland, Dunbar (1912). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Department of Archives and History. p. 370.
- ^ a b c d e "Journal of the Senate of the State of Mississippi ... 1920". HathiTrust. pp. 3–8. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- ^ Representatives, Mississippi Legislature House of (January 16, 1920). "Journal" – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Rowland, Dunbar (1924). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Department of Archives and History. pp. 48, 198–199.
- ^ History, Mississippi Department of Archives and (January 16, 1924). "The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi". Department of Archives and History – via Google Books.
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