John Marshall Slaton

John Marshall Slaton, or Jack Slaton, served two non-consecutive terms as the Governor of Georgia. Slaton was born on December 25, 1866, in Meriwether County, Georgia.

Slaton received a master of arts degree with highest honors from the University of Georgia in 1886 where he joined Chi Phi Fraternity and the Phi Kappa Literary Society. Slaton married Sally Frances Grant in 1898.

Slaton's additional political service includes:
*Georgia House of Representatives, representing Fulton County (1896-1909)
*Speaker of the Georgia House (1905-1909)
*Georgia Senate, representing the 35th District (1909-1913)
*President of State Senate (1909-1911)

After Governor Hoke Smith was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1911, Slaton was appointed acting governor and served in that capacity from 1911 to 1912. Slaton was later elected to the governorship for a non-consecutive second term (1913 to 1915).

In 1915, Slaton commuted the sentence for Leo Frank from death to life imprisonment. "I can endure misconstruction, abuse and condemnation," Slaton said, "but I cannot stand the constant companionship of an accusing conscience which would remind me that I, as governor of Georgia, failed to do what I thought to be right . . . It means that I must live in obscurity the rest of my days, but I would rather be plowing in a field than to feel that I had that blood on my hands." [cite news |title=A Political Suicide |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,861129,00.html |date=January 24, 1955 |publisher=Time Magazine] . Some viewed the act as a conflict of interest, as Slaton was a law partner of Frank's lead defense counsel. Slaton's actions led to threats of mob violence against the Governor, and the Georgia National Guard and local police were enlisted for protection.

After his public service, Slaton served as the President of the Georgia State Bar Association (1928-29) and as a member of the General Council of the American Bar Association.

The former Governor died on January 11, 1955 in Atlanta, and is interred inside Grant Mausoleum in Oakland Cemetery. The mausoleum interment was due to the Leo Frank controversy.

External links

* [http://www.sos.state.ga.us/onlinetour/2ndfloor/portarits/john_marshall_slaton.html Portrait of John Marshall Slaton]
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References

* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/ArticlePrintable.jsp?id=h-2137 Georgia Encyclopedia entry for John Marshall Slaton]
* [http://www.meriwether.ga.us/history/HIS-2D.HTM Meriweather County bio of John Marshall Slaton]