Cyrus E. Woods (September 3, 1861 – December 8, 1938) was an American attorney, diplomat and politician.
Early life and career
He was born September 3, 1861, in
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
Clearfield is a borough and the county seat of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 5,962 people, making it the second most populous community in Clearfield County, behind DuBois. The borough ...
, to Matthew Woods and Catheine/Katharine (Bella) Spice/Speece.
He attended
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
. He later graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
with a law degree in 1889. Woods practiced law in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
and then in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, where he became associated with the interests of the
Mellon family
The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential Americans, American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The family includes Andrew Mellon, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries, along with prominent members in the judicial, bankin ...
. On January 18, 1893, Woods married the former Mary Todd Marchand, a great-granddaughter of
James Todd, former state Attorney General.
In 1900, Woods made his first bid for political office, successfully contesting the
Westmoreland County-based
39th district of the
Pennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...
. He served in the Senate for two terms, from 1901 to 1907.
Diplomatic service and state appointments
Woods received his first diplomatic appointment in 1912, when
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
named him the
United States' Envoy to Portugal, with the official title of
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
, as the United States had not yet elevated the post to ambassador status.
In 1915,
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Martin Brumbaugh appointed him
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (or "secretary of state") administers the Pennsylvania Department of State of the U.S. state (officially, " commonwealth") of Pennsylvania. The secretary is appointed by the governor subject to co ...
. Woods would serve six years in the post, before resigning in 1921 to take-up the post of
Ambassador to Spain.
In 1923, he moved to the post of
Ambassador to Japan
The is the ambassador from the United States of America to Japan.
History
Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. has maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period between the at ...
. During his time in Japan, he organized the American relief effort in response to the devastating
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...
, before resigning in 1924.
In 1929, Governor
John Fisher
John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI.
Fisher was executed by o ...
, with whom Woods had served in the State Senate, appointed him
Pennsylvania Attorney General
The Pennsylvania Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro.
On August 15, 2016, then-Attorney General Kath ...
. Woods served in the post, his final political or diplomatic appointment, for eighteen months.
Death and legacy
Woods died December 8, 1938, in Philadelphia, where he had gone for medical treatment. After his death, his widow established a foundation which became the
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is an art museum in Greensburg, Pennsylvania devoted to American art, with a particular concentration on the art of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Art lover Mary Marchand Woods bequeathed her entire estate to e ...
.
References
*"Cyrus E. Woods Dies", ''The Washington Post'', December 9, 1938, p. 6.
*"Cyrus Woods Dies, Ex-Envoy in Japan", ''New York Times'', December 9, 1938, p. 25.
External links
Profileat the
U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
The Cyrus E. Woods Papersat
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, Cyrus
People from Clearfield, Pennsylvania
1861 births
1938 deaths
Pennsylvania Republicans
Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Attorneys General
Ambassadors of the United States to Portugal
Ambassadors of the United States to Spain
Ambassadors of the United States to Japan
University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni
20th-century American diplomats
20th-century American politicians