John Bird Finch (March 17, 1852 – October 3, 1887) was an American politician and educator who served as the chairman of the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...

Life

John Bird Finch was born on March 17, 1852, to William Finch and Emeline A. Fox in Lincklaen, New York. His mother's father died after being thrown out of a carriage while drunk and she raised him to support alcoholic prohibition. In 1854, his family moved to Union Valley, New York and later suffered from scarlet fever in 1855. He started teaching at age 16 in 1870, graduated from Harvard University, and later became the superintendent of Union School in Smyrna, New York. In 1877, he served as a delegate for Cortland County, New York to the Prohibition state convention in Utica on August 15 and was made chairman of the committee on nominations. In 1878, he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska and became a member of the Democratic Party until 1880, when he rejoined the Prohibition Party. In 1882, he voted for

James W. Dawes James William Dawes (January 8, 1845October 8, 1918) was a Republican state politician. He served as the fifth governor of Nebraska from 1883 to 1887. He was born in McConnelsville, Ohio. He was the great-grandson of William Dawes, a first co ...

for governor due to J. Sterling Morton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, being against prohibition, supported for lieutenant governor, and left the remainder of his ballot blank. In 1884, he was selected to become the chairman of the Prohibition Party and later moved to Evanston, Illinois. At the 1884 National Prohibition Convention, he motioned to make the presidential nomination of John St. John unanimous. On October 3, 1887, Finch gave a speech in Lynn, Massachusetts and then traveled to Boston aboard a train where he died of a heart attack at age 35.

Clinton B. Fisk Clinton Bowen Fisk (December 8, 1828 - July 9, 1890) was a senior officer during Reconstruction in the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands and served as the Prohibition Party's presidential candidate during the 1888 presidential el ...

, the party's presidential candidate, gave a speech in his honor and Samuel Dickie was selected to replace him as the party's chairman.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Finch, John B. 1852 births 1887 deaths 19th-century American politicians American temperance activists Illinois Prohibitionists Nebraska Prohibitionists Nebraska Democrats New York (state) Prohibitionists People from Chenango County, New York Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska Harvard University alumni