John Davis Long

Who was John Davis Long?

John Davis Long was a American lawyer, politician, and writer. He served as the 32nd Governor of Massachusetts between 1880 and 1883. He later served as the Secretary of the Navy from 1897 to 1902, a period that notably included the Spanish-American War.

Born in Buckfield, Maine, Long was educated a lawyer at Harvard, and then settled in Hingham, Massachusetts. He became active in Republican Party politics in the 1870s, winning election to the state legislature in 1874. He rose rapidly in prominence, and was elected lieutenant governor in 1879 and governor in 1880. He advocated modest reforms during his three years as governor, which were relatively undistinguished.

After returning to private practice he was offered a cabinet post by his friend President William McKinley in 1896. He chose to become Secretary of the Navy despite lacking detailed knowledge of naval matters. He clashed with his Under-Secretary, Theodore Roosevelt, over expansion of the Navy, but did so when the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898. He resigned the post after Roosevelt became president, and resumed his law practice. He died at his home in 1915; his publications include a lifelong journal, a history of the Spanish-American War, and a verse translation of Virgil's Aeneid.