John Preston Buchanan (January 30, 1888 – September 15, 1937) was an American politician who served as a member of the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

, representing the state's

1st district The Innere Stadt (; Central Bavarian: ''Innare Stod'') is the 1st municipal district of Vienna () located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Inn ...

. Buchanan succeeded his father,

Benjamin Franklin Buchanan Benjamin Franklin Buchanan (October 4, 1857 – February 21, 1932) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1918 to 1922. Early life and education Buchanan was born October 4, 1857, in Smy ...

, who would go on to become

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held by Winsome Earle S ...

. After one term in office, he was defeated for reelection.

Early life and education

Buchanan was born in the town of

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

Smyth County, Virginia Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion. History Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county i ...

on January 30, 1888. He was the first of seven children for

, a politically active local attorney, and his wife, Eleanor Fairman Buchanan (née Sheffey). After high school, Buchanan attended

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia.

Political career

A Democrat, Buchanan defeated Republican Robert A. Anderson in 1915 to serve as a senator during the 1916 General Assembly; the seat was occupied by his father in the previous session. His constituency was composed of Washington County,

Smyth County Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion. History Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county ...

, and the

City of Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

Personal life

Buchanan married Annabel Morris on August 14, 1912 in

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combin ...

. The couple had four children, Eleanor, John, Jr., Annabel and Patrick.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, John Preston 1888 births 1937 deaths Democratic Party Virginia state senators Washington and Lee University alumni People from Marion, Virginia 20th-century American politicians