Philip Loring Spooner Jr. (January 13, 1847 – January 2, 1918) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He was the first insurance commissioner of the state of Wisconsin and the 18th mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.[1][2] He was a younger brother of United States senator John Coit Spooner.
Philip L. Spooner Jr. | |
|---|---|
 From Wisconsin State Journal obituary, Jan. 2, 1918 | |
| 1st Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin | |
| In office April 1, 1878 – January 3, 1887 | |
| Appointed by | William E. Smith |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Philip Cheek Jr. |
| 18th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin | |
| In office April 1880 – April 1881 | |
| Preceded by | John R. Baltzell |
| Succeeded by | James Conklin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 13, 1847 Lawrenceburg, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 1918 (aged 70) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Relatives |
|
| Occupation | Insurance agent |
Biography
editPhilip Spooner Jr. was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, in January 1847. He moved with his parents to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1859, where he was raised and educated.[3] He attended the University of Wisconsin, but did not graduate.
In 1867 he went into the business as an insurance agent, selling fire and life insurance for Aetna and other insurers.[4] He also became active with the Republican Party of Wisconsin, serving on the Madison city council. He ran for Wisconsin State Assembly in 1875, but was defeated by Liberal Republican William Charlton.[5]
He worked in the insurance business until 1878, when he was appointed to the newly-created position of state insurance commissioner by Governor William E. Smith. He was subsequently re-appointed to another two-year term in 1880.[4] The position changed into a state-wide elected office in 1881, and he was elected to continue in the office in 1881 and 1884.[6][7] He did not run for another term in 1886.
While serving as insurance commissioner, he was also elected mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, in the Spring of 1880 and served a one year term. In addition to his insurance and political interests, he was the president and major shareholder in Madison Traction Co. He died after a long illness at his home in Madison on January 2, 1918.[8]
Personal life and family
editPhilip Loring Spooner Jr. was the second-born son of Philip Loring Spooner and his wife Lydia Lord Spooner (née Coit). Philip Spooner Sr. was a prominent lawyer in Madison, clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School.[9] Philip Jr.'s siblings included John Coit Spooner, who served 16 years as United States senator from Wisconsin, and Roger C. Spooner, who was a chairman of the Republican Party of Dane County.[9]
Philip Spooner Jr. was never married.[10] He shared a home in Madison with his sister and her husband until their deaths.[8]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1875)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1875 | |||||
| Liberal Republican | William Charlton | 1,327 | 50.44% | ||
| Republican | Philip L. Spooner | 1,304 | 49.56% | +2.52% | |
| Plurality | 23 | 0.87% | -5.04% | ||
| Total votes | 2,631 | 100.0% | +0.30% | ||
| Liberal Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner (1881, 1884)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1881 | |||||
| Republican | Philip L. Spooner | 85,349 | 49.85% | ||
| Democratic | Louis Kemper | 67,574 | 39.47% | ||
| Prohibition | Thomas Bracken | 11,580 | 6.76% | ||
| Greenback | Lorenzo Merrill | 6,693 | 3.91% | ||
| Plurality | 17,775 | 10.38% | |||
| Total votes | 171,196 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1884 | |||||
| Republican | Philip L. Spooner (incumbent) | 162,387 | 52.87% | +1.22% | |
| Democratic | Ole S. Holum | 144,785 | 45.54% | +6.07% | |
| Prohibition | Nelson La Due | 6,538 | 2.06% | −4.71% | |
| Greenback | J. B. Russell | 4,222 | 1.33% | −2.58% | |
| Plurality | 17,602 | 5.54% | -4.85% | ||
| Total votes | 317,932 | 100.0% | +85.71% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ "Philip L. Spooner, Jr". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
- ^ Annual Report of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin. Department of Insurance. 1916. p. ii.
- ^ Warner, Hans B., ed. (1879). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 477. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Keyes, Elisha W. (1906). History of Dane County. Western Historical Association. p. 835–836. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 463. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 528. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Heg, J. E., ed. (1885). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 418. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "P. L. Spooner Dead After Long Illness". The Capital Times. January 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Biographical Review of Dane County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co. 1893. p. 272–277. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ "P. L. Spooner, ex-Mayor of City, is Dead". Wisconsin State Journal. January 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.