John Travers Wood

This article is about the congressman from Idaho. For other people with similar names, see John Wood (disambiguation).
John Travers Wood
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Idaho's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by Compton White, Sr.
Succeeded by Gracie Pfost
Personal details
Born (1878-11-25)November 25, 1878
Wakefield, United Kingdom
Died November 2, 1954(1954-11-02) (aged 75)
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Resting place Forest Cemetery
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Margaret O. Thomson
(1889–1978)
(m. 1907–1954, his death)[1]
Children 5 [2]
Residence Coeur d'Alene
Alma mater Detroit College of Medicine, 1904
Profession Physician
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch U.S. Army
Rank  Lieutenant
Unit Medical Corps
Battles/wars World War I

John Travers Wood (November 25, 1878 – November 2, 1954) was an American physician and one-term congressman from northern Idaho.[3]

Early life and education

Born in the UK at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Wood immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1889. They settled in Woodridge, North Dakota, and he was naturalized a citizen in 1901. After graduating public schools there, he taught school for six years; he then graduated from Detroit College of Medicine. He moved to Hannah, North Dakota, and set up a practice there for one year, before moving west to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[3]

Career

From 1910 to 1950, he worked as a surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In addition, he served as the mayor of Coeur d'Alene during 1911 and 1912, and founded the town's hospital. During World War I, he served as a lieutenant in the medical corps of the U.S. Army.

In the 1950 election, Wood ran as a Republican for the open seat in Congress from Idaho's first district. He took office at age 72 and served a single term, narrowly losing his re-election bid in 1952 to Gracie Pfost. During his term, he also mentioned his distrust of the United Nations, citing its charter's similarities to the Soviet Union's constitution, and mentioned as much to the U.S. Flag Committee.[4]

Later life and death

Wood left the House on January 1953 and returned to Coeur d'Alene, where he died less than two years later.[2]

Election results

U.S. House elections (Idaho's 1st district): Results 1950–1952
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
1950 Gracie Pfost 41,040 49.5% John T. Wood 41,823 50.5%
1952 Gracie Pfost 54,725 50.3% John T. Wood (inc.) 54,134 49.7%

Source:[5]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

  1. ↑ "Margaret O. Wood". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. September 5, 1978. p. 10.
  2. 1 2 "Dr. John Wood, ex-Idaho solon, taken by death". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. November 2, 1954. p. 1.
  3. 1 2 "Dr. J.T. Wood's rites Thursday". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. November 3, 1954. p. 2.
  4. ↑ http://www.iahf.com/world/un-milit.html
  5. ↑ "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Compton I. White, Sr.		 United States House of Representatives, Idaho First Congressional District
January 3, 1951–January 5, 1953 		Succeeded by
Gracie Pfost
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