John Calhoun Sheppard (July 5, 1850October 17, 1931) was the 82nd

governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

from July 10, 1886, to November 30, 1886. Sheppard was born in

Edgefield County Edgefield County is a County (United States), county located on the western border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 25,657. Its county seat and largest municipality is Edge ...

and attended Bethel Academy in Edgefield. Upon graduating from

Furman University Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

with a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1871. He was elected to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

in 1876 and became the

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

when his father-in-law,

William Henry Wallace William Henry Wallace (March 24, 1827 – March 21, 1901) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the American Civil War (Civil War). Before the Civil War, he was a planter, newspaper publisher, lawyer and South Carolina legi ...

, resigned as Speaker to accept an open circuit judgeship. He had been a strong supporter of

Martin Witherspoon Gary Martin Witherspoon Gary (March 25, 1831 – April 9, 1881) was an attorney, soldier, and politician from South Carolina. He attained the rank of brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He played a majo ...

in his gubernatorial campaign of 1880 which got him noticed by those opposed to the Conservative wing of the state Democratic party. In 1882, Sheppard was placed on the Democratic statewide ticket for the post of

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

and easily won election and reelection in 1884. When

Hugh Smith Thompson Hugh Smith Thompson (January 24, 1836November 20, 1904) was the 81st governor of South Carolina, from 1882 to 1886. Career as an educator Born in Charleston, Thompson graduated from the South Carolina Military Academy (now The Citadel) in 1 ...

resigned on July 10, 1886, to be Assistant

Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, Sheppard succeeded to the governorship. In the nomination battle to be the Democratic nominee for governor in the election of 1886, he was promoted by

Ben Tillman Benjamin Ryan Tillman (August 11, 1847 – July 3, 1918) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. A white ...

and the

News and Courier ''The Post and Courier'' is the main daily newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the ''Charleston Courier'', founded in 1803, the ''Charleston Daily News'', founded 1865, and ''The Evening Post'', f ...

. Tillman tried to force the delegates of the Farmers' Association to support Sheppard at the Democratic Convention, but they refused and instead

John Peter Richardson III John Peter Richardson III (September 25, 1831 – July 6, 1899) was the 83rd governor of South Carolina from 1886 to 1890. Richardson was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to John Peter Richardson II, a former Governor of South Carol ...

emerged as the nominee for governor. After leaving the governorship on November 30, 1886, Sheppard became president of the Edgefield Bank of South Carolina. He was mentioned as a potential candidate for governor in 1890, but Tillman had rigged the Democratic convention to force his nomination for governor. Sheppard remained active in South Carolina politics and participated at the constitutional convention of 1895. He was elected three years later in 1898 to the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...

and served until 1904. In 1908, Sheppard was the president of the South Carolina Bar Association and was member of the state Senate for a second time from 1919 to 1920. Sheppard died on October 17, 1931, aged 81. He was buried at Willowbrook Cemetery in Edgefield.The register of the Governors of the States of the United States of America, 1776–1976
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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheppard, John Calhoun 1850 births 1931 deaths People from Edgefield County, South Carolina Furman University alumni Democratic Party governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees