John Latta (March 2, 1836 – February 15, 1913) was an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania who served as the first lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1875 to 1879. He also served as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1872 to 1873 and the Pennsylvania Senate from 1863 to 1866.

Early life and education

Latta was born in Unity Township, Pennsylvania, to Moses and Eliza (Graham) Latta. He was educated at

Sewickley Academy Sewickley Academy is a private, independent, coeducation, college-preparatory academy located in Sewickley, Pennsylvania in the United States. The Academy educates 594 students, from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. It is a member of the Nation ...

and Elder's Ridge Academy. He read law under D.H. Hazen in Pittsburgh, entered Yale Law School in 1857 and graduated in 1859. He was admitted to the Westmoreland County bar in 1859 and opened a law firm in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. In 1865, he married Emma Hope and together they had 4 children.

Career

He served as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 22nd district 1863 to 1864 and for the 23rd district from 1865 to 1866. He served as a member of the

from 1872 to 1873. Under the new Pennsylvania Constitution that went into effect on January 1, 1874, he was the first elected lieutenant governor and served under Republican Governor

John Hartranft John Frederick Hartranft (December 16, 1830 – October 17, 1889) was the United States military officer who read the death warrant to the individuals who were executed on July 7, 1865 for conspiring to assassinate American President Abraham Lin ...

. He died on February 15, 1913, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and was interred at St. Clair Cemetery.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Latta, John 1836 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians Burials in Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governors of Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Sewickley Academy alumni Yale Law School alumni