James Sutherland Spore (May 13, 1885 – April 28, 1937) was a

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He served as acting governor of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

from February 27, 1921 to February 7, 1922 and as acting governor of

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...

from March 24, 1931 to April 22, 1931. James S. Spore grew up in

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...

and graduated from the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

with the nickname of "Wooden Willie." His sister was

Marian Spore Bush Marian Spore Bush (born Flora May Spore, October 22, 1878 – February 24, 1946) was an American dentist, painter, and wife of industrial tycoon Irving T. Bush. She left her successful Michigan dental practice for a studio in Greenwich Villa ...

and he had three children.

Career

Spore served as acting Naval governor of

from February 27, 1921 to February 7, 1922. Spore served as acting governor of

from March 24, 1931 to April 22, 1931. As of 1933, he was stationed in

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

. After retiring from the Navy, he moved to

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, located east of Downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills." History La Me ...

(in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

) to farm

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...

Personal life

On April 29, 1916, Spore married Grace Walling at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in

South Orange, New Jersey South Orange, officially the Township of South Orange Village, is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village's population was 16,198, reflecting a decline of 766 (4.5%) fro ...

. In 1937, Spore died in La Mesa, California.

References

External links

James Sutherland Spore at findagrave.com

* ttps://digital.lib.ecu.edu/11264 Burns W. Spore oral history interview, April 28, 2001 at ecu.edu {{DEFAULTSORT:Spore, James Sutherland 1885 births 1937 deaths People from Bay City, Michigan United States Naval Academy alumni United States Navy officers Governors of Guam Governors of American Samoa Military personnel from Michigan