John Travers Wood | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Compton White, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Gracie Pfost |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 25, 1878 Wakefield, United Kingdom |
| Died | November 2, 1954 (aged 75) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Cemetery Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret O. Thomson (1889–1978) (m. 1907–1954, his death)[1] |
| Children | 5[2] |
| Residence | Coeur d'Alene |
| Alma mater | Detroit College of Medicine, 1904 |
| Profession | Physician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | .svg.png){kind=small} United States |
| Branch/service | ){kind=small} United States Army |
| Rank | ){kind=small} First Lieutenant |
| Unit | ){kind=small} Medical Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
John Travers Wood (November 25, 1878 – November 2, 1954) was an American physician and one-term congressman from northern Idaho.[3]
Early life and education
Born in the UK at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Wood immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1889. They settled in Woodridge, North Dakota, and he was naturalized a citizen in 1901. After graduating public schools there, he taught school for six years; he then graduated from Detroit College of Medicine. He moved to Hannah, North Dakota, and set up a practice there for one year, before moving west to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[3]
Career
From 1910 to 1950, he worked as a surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In addition, he served as the mayor of Coeur d'Alene during 1911 and 1912, and founded the town's hospital. During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the medical corps of the U.S. Army.
In the 1950 election, Wood ran as a Republican for the open seat in Congress from Idaho's first district. He took office at age 72 and served a single term, narrowly losing his re-election bid in 1952 to Gracie Pfost. During his term, he also mentioned his distrust of the United Nations, citing its charter's similarities to the Soviet Union's constitution, and mentioned as much to the U.S. Flag Committee.[4]
Later life and death
Wood left the House on January 1953 and returned to Coeur d'Alene, where he died less than two years later.[2]
Election results
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Gracie Pfost | 41,040 | 49.5% | John T. Wood | 41,823 | 50.5% | |||
| 1952 | Gracie Pfost | 54,725 | 50.3% | John T. Wood (inc.) | 54,134 | 49.7% |
Source:[5]
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.
- ^ "Margaret O. Wood". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. September 5, 1978. p. 10.
- ^ a b "Dr. John Wood, ex-Idaho solon, taken by death". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. November 2, 1954. p. 1.
- ^ a b "Dr. J.T. Wood's rites Thursday". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. November 3, 1954. p. 2.
- ^ http://www.iahf.com/world/un-milit.html
- ^ "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
External links
- United States Congress. "John Travers Wood (id: W000700)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- John Travers Wood at Find a Grave
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Compton I. White, Sr. | United States House of Representatives, Idaho First Congressional District January 3, 1951–January 5, 1953 | Succeeded by Gracie Pfost |