John Latta (March 2, 1836 – February 15, 1913) was an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania who served as the first lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1879. He also served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1872 to 1873 and the Pennsylvania Senate from 1863 to 1866.
John Latta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 19, 1875 – January 21, 1879 | |
| Governor | John F. Hartranft |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Charles Warren Stone |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
| In office 1872-1873 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 23rd district | |
| In office 1865-1866 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 22nd district | |
| In office 1863-1864 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 2, 1836 Unity Township, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 15, 1913 (aged 76) Greensburg, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
Early life
editLatta was born in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, to Moses and Eliza (Graham) Latta. He was educated at Sewickley Academy and Elder's Ridge Academy. He read law under D.H. Hazen in Pittsburgh,[1] entered Yale Law School in 1857 and graduated in 1859. He was admitted to the Westmoreland County bar in 1859 and opened a law firm in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.[2] In 1865, he married Emma Hope and together they had 4 children.[3] He was a member of Christ's Church in Greensburg.[4]
Career
editHe served as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 22nd district 1863 to 1864 and for the 23rd district from 1865 to 1866. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1872 to 1873.[5] Under the new Pennsylvania Constitution that went into effect on 1 January 1874,[6] he was the first elected lieutenant governor and served under Republican Governor John Hartranft.[7]
He died on February 15, 1913, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.[8]
References
edit- ^ Tuttle, Roger W. (1911). Biographies of Graduates of the Yale Law School 1824-1899. New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company. p. 216. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ Boucher, John Newton (1918). Old and New Westmoreland. New York: The American Historical Society, Inc. pp. 4–5. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ Jordan, John W. (1906). History of Westmoreland County Pennsylvania. New York: The Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 18–19. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "Greensburg Downtown Historic District Nomination Form". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Pennsylvania House of Representatives - JOHN LATTA Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Wiley, Samuel T. (1890). Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co. pp. 121–122. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
- ^ "Pennsylvania Senate - John Latta Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ "John Latta, Ex-Lieutenant Governor of State, Died Early This Morning, Following a Day's Illness". Latrobe Bulletin. February 15, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved June 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.