John W. Stevenson

John Stevenson
President of the American Bar Association
In office 1884–1885
Preceded by	Cortlandt Parker
Succeeded by	William Allen Butler
Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus
In office December 1873 – March 4, 1877
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	William A. Wallace
United States Senator from Kentucky
In office March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1877
Preceded by	Thomas C. McCreery
Succeeded by	James B. Beck
25th Governor of Kentucky
In office September 8, 1867 – February 13, 1871
Preceded by	John L. Helm
Succeeded by	Preston Leslie
19th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
In office September 3, 1867 – September 8, 1867
Governor	John L. Helm
Preceded by	Richard Jacob
Succeeded by	John G. Carlisle
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 10th district
In office March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861
Preceded by	Samuel F. Swope
Succeeded by	John W. Menzies
Personal details
Born	(1812-05-04)May 4, 1812 Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Died	August 10, 1886(1886-08-10) (aged 74) Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
Resting place	Spring Grove Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sibella Winston
Relatives	Carter Braxton (Great-grandfather) Andrew Stevenson (Father) Willoughby Newton (Cousin)
Education	Hampden-Sydney College University of Virginia, Charlottesville (BA)
Signature

John White Stevenson (May 4, 1812 – August 10, 1886) was the 25th governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress. The son of former Speaker of the House and U.S. diplomat Andrew Stevenson, John Stevenson graduated from the University of Virginia in 1832 and studied law under his cousin, future Congressman Willoughby Newton. After briefly practicing law in Mississippi, he relocated to Covington, Kentucky, and was elected county attorney. After serving in the Kentucky legislature, he was chosen as a delegate to the state's third constitutional convention in 1849 and was one of three commissioners charged with revising its code of laws, a task finished in 1854. A Democrat, he was elected to two consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives where he supported several proposed compromises to avert the Civil War and blamed the Radical Republicans for their failure.

After losing his reelection bid in 1861, Stevenson, a known Confederate sympathizer, stayed out of public life during the war and was consequently able to avoid being imprisoned, as many other Confederate sympathizers were. In 1867, just five days after John L. Helm and Stevenson were elected governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, Helm died and Stevenson became acting governor. Stevenson subsequently won a special election in 1868 to finish Helm's term. As governor, he opposed federal intervention in what he considered state matters but insisted that blacks' newly granted rights be observed and used the state militia to quell post-war violence in the state. Although a fiscal conservative, he advocated a new tax to benefit education and created the state bureau of education.

In 1871, Stevenson defeated incumbent Thomas C. McCreery for his seat in the U.S. Senate after criticizing McCreery for allegedly supporting the appointment of Stephen G. Burbridge, who was hated by most Kentuckians, to a federal position. In the Senate, he opposed internal improvements and defended a constructionist view of the constitution, resisting efforts to expand the powers expressly granted in that document. Beginning in late 1873, Stephenson functioned as the first chairman (later called floor leader) of the Senate Democratic caucus. He did not seek reelection in 1877, returning to his law practice and accepting future Kentucky Governor William Goebel as a law partner. He chaired the 1880 Democratic National Convention and was elected president of the American Bar Association in 1884. He died in Covington on August 10, 1886, and was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery at Cincinnati, Ohio.