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John Watkinson Douglass
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John Watkinson Douglass, born October 25, 1827 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, was an American politician . He was the son of Joseph M. Douglass (1834-1905) and Martha A. Watkinson Douglass.  Between 1889 and 1893 he was President of the Board of Commissioners and Mayor of the federal capital Washington, DC

After studying law and attorney law, John Douglass began working in this profession. Later he worked for the Federal Finance Administration. Between 1862 and 1869 he was head of the 19th Pennsylvania Federal Financial District ( Collector of Internal Revenue for the 19th Pennsylvania District ); from 1871 to 1875 he held the office of the Federal Tax Commissioner ( Commissioner of Internal Revenue ).

The party affiliation of John Douglass is not known, but probably an Independent. In 1889, he became a member of the three-person Board of Commissioners that governed the city of Washington. Within this group, he was appointed chairman. In this capacity he exercised de facto the office of mayor (21st May 1889 - 1st March 1893), even if this title between 1871 and 1975 was not officially used. After the end of his time as head of the Board of Commissioners of the City of Washington, he has no more political appearance.

He married Margaret Lyon (1830 - 1910).  His son, George Lyon Douglass, was Speaker of Kansas House of Representatives in 1893.

He died August 21, 1909 in Kent and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington.

 

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Last modified: Monday, 25 March 2024