Joseph McMurray Devine (March 15, 1861 – August 31, 1938) was an American politician who was the sixth governor of North Dakota from 1898 to 1899. He served as governor for less than one year as he finished the term after Governor Frank A. Briggs died in office.

Joseph McMurray Devine
6th Governor of North Dakota
In office
August 9, 1898 – January 3, 1899
LieutenantVacant
Preceded byFrank A. Briggs
Succeeded byFrederick B. Fancher
5th Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
In office
January 6, 1897 – August 9, 1898
GovernorFrank A. Briggs
Preceded byJohn H. Worst
Succeeded byDavid Bartlett
Personal details
Born(1861-03-15)March 15, 1861
Wheeling, Virginia
(now Wheeling, West Virginia)
DiedAugust 31, 1938(1938-08-31) (aged 77)
Mandan, North Dakota
Political partyRepublican

Biography

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Joseph M. Devine was born in Wheeling (in modern-day West Virginia; located in Virginia at the time of his birth). He was educated in the public schools. He received a B.A. degree from the West Virginia University in 1881.[1] He married Ida Frances Holloway in 1891 and they had one daughter. He was again married, in 1900, to Mary Bernadine Hascom; and had a son, Douglas, and two daughters, Helen and Bernadine. He moved to LaMoure County, Dakota Territory in 1884 and was superintendent of schools for ten years. In 1892 he lost an election for state superintendent of public education to Laura J. Eisenhuth, the first woman elected to state office in the United States.[2]

Career

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He first entered politics as Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota in 1897. When Governor Frank A. Briggs died on August 9, 1898, Devine, assumed the duties of governorship for the remainder of the term. He won reelection as Lieutenant Governor from 1899 through 1901[3] He continued to be active in educational issues, serving as the North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1901 to 1902.[4] In 1914, he became executive head of the State Training School in Mandan.[5] The last position he held was as State Immigration Commissioner from 1923 to 1933.[3]

 
Joseph M. Devine, North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1901-1902

Death

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Devine died of heart failure on August 31, 1938, and is interred in Mandan Union Cemetery in Mandan, North Dakota.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b NNDB. "Joseph M. Devine". Soylent Communications. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  2. ^ "History: ND elected first woman to be administrator of a state office". The Bismarck Tribune. April 25, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  3. ^ a b National Governors Association. "Joseph M. Devine". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  4. ^ North Dakota (1890). "Biennial report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction". 1888/90-1918/20: Public document: 43 v. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "Joseph M. Devine - North Dakota Governors Online Exhibit - Exhibits - State Historical Society of North Dakota". www.history.nd.gov. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota
1897–1898
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of North Dakota
1898–1899
Succeeded by
Preceded by North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction
1901–1902
Succeeded by