John Calhoun Sheppard
Encyclopedia
John Calhoun Sheppard was the 82nd Governor of South Carolina
from July 10, 1886 to November 30, 1886.
Sheppard was born in Edgefield County and attended Bethel Academy in Edgefield
. Upon graduating from Furman University
with a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1871. He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives
in 1876 and became the Speaker of the House
when his father-in-law, William H. Wallace, resigned as Speaker to accept an open circuit judgeship. He had been a strong supporter of Martin Witherspoon Gary
in his gubernatorial campaign of 1880
which got him noticed by those opposed to the Conservative wing of the state Democratic party
.
In 1882, Sheppard was placed on the Democratic statewide ticket for the post of Lieutenant Governor and easily won election and reelection in 1884. When Hugh Smith Thompson
resigned on July 10, 1886 to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
, Sheppard succeeded to the governorship. In the nomination battle to be the Democratic nominee for governor in the election of 1886
, he was promoted by Ben Tillman
and the News and Courier
. Tillman tried to force the delegates of the Farmers' Association to support Sheppard at the Democratic Convention, but they refused and instead John Peter Richardson III
emerged as the nominee for governor.
After leaving the governorship on November 30, 1886, Sheppard became president of the Edgefield Bank of South Carolina. He was mentioned as a potential candidate for governor in 1890, but Tillman had rigged the Democratic convention to force his nomination for governor. Sheppard continued to remain active in South Carolina politics and participated at the constitutional convention of 1895. He was elected three years later in 1898 to the South Carolina Senate
and served until 1904. In 1908, Sheppard was the president of the South Carolina Bar Association and was member of the state Senate for a second time from 1919 to 1920.
On October 7, 1931, Sheppard died and was buried at Willowbrook Cemetery in Edgefield.
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
from July 10, 1886 to November 30, 1886.
Sheppard was born in Edgefield County and attended Bethel Academy in Edgefield
Edgefield, South Carolina
Edgefield is a town in Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,449 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Edgefield County.Edgefield is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.-Geography:...
. Upon graduating from Furman University
Furman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
with a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1871. He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
in 1876 and became the Speaker of the House
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
when his father-in-law, William H. Wallace, resigned as Speaker to accept an open circuit judgeship. He had been a strong supporter of Martin Witherspoon Gary
Martin Witherspoon Gary
Martin Witherspoon Gary was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a Democratic politician in postbellum South Carolina.-Early life and career:...
in his gubernatorial campaign of 1880
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1880
The 1880 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1880 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Johnson Hagood was nominated by the Democrats and ran against L.W.R. Blair, a Greenback-Labor candidate...
which got him noticed by those opposed to the Conservative wing of the state Democratic party
South Carolina Democratic Party
The South Carolina Democratic Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. The Democratic party thrived during the Second Party System between 1832 and the mid-1850s and was one of the causes of the collapse of the Whig Party....
.
In 1882, Sheppard was placed on the Democratic statewide ticket for the post of Lieutenant Governor and easily won election and reelection in 1884. When Hugh Smith Thompson
Hugh Smith Thompson
Hugh Smith Thompson was the 81st Governor of South Carolina, from 1882 to 1886.Born in Charleston, Thompson graduated from The Citadel in 1856 and was an instructor at the Arsenal Academy from 1858 to 1861...
resigned on July 10, 1886 to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
, Sheppard succeeded to the governorship. In the nomination battle to be the Democratic nominee for governor in the election of 1886
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1886
The 1886 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1886 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. John Peter Richardson III was nominated by the Democrats and became the 83rd governor of South Carolina.-Democratic Convention:...
, he was promoted by Ben Tillman
Benjamin Tillman
Benjamin Ryan Tillman was an American politician who served as the 84th Governor of South Carolina, from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator, from 1895 until his death in office. Tillman's views were a matter of national controversy.Tillman was a member of the Democratic Party...
and the News and Courier
The Post and Courier
Charleston's The Post and Courier is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the South and the eighth oldest newspaper still in publication in the United States. It is published in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the Charleston Courier, founded in 1803, the...
. Tillman tried to force the delegates of the Farmers' Association to support Sheppard at the Democratic Convention, but they refused and instead John Peter Richardson III
John Peter Richardson III
John Peter Richardson III was the 83rd Governor of South Carolina from 1886 to 1890.Richardson was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to John Peter Richardson II, a former Governor of South Carolina, and Juliana Augusta Manning. After graduating from South Carolina College in 1849,...
emerged as the nominee for governor.
After leaving the governorship on November 30, 1886, Sheppard became president of the Edgefield Bank of South Carolina. He was mentioned as a potential candidate for governor in 1890, but Tillman had rigged the Democratic convention to force his nomination for governor. Sheppard continued to remain active in South Carolina politics and participated at the constitutional convention of 1895. He was elected three years later in 1898 to the South Carolina Senate
South Carolina Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...
and served until 1904. In 1908, Sheppard was the president of the South Carolina Bar Association and was member of the state Senate for a second time from 1919 to 1920.
On October 7, 1931, Sheppard died and was buried at Willowbrook Cemetery in Edgefield.