John Young Mason (April 18, 1799October 3, 1859) was a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, the 16th and 18th
United States Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
, the 18th
Attorney General of the United States
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the ...
,
United States Minister to France and a
United States district judge of the
.
Early life
Mason was born on April 18, 1799 in Hicksford (now
Emporia) in
Greensville County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
.
He received an
Artium Baccalaureus
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in 1816 from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...
, attended
Litchfield Law School
The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. (Wh ...
and
read law
Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under t ...
in 1819.
Career
Mason entered private practice in Greensville County from 1819 to 1821.
He continued private practice in
Southampton County, Virginia
Southampton County is a county located on the southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. North Carolina is to the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,996. Its county seat is Courtland.
History
In the early 17th century ...
, from 1821 to 1831.
He was a member of the
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...
from 1823 to 1827, and a member of the
Senate of Virginia
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 Vir ...
from 1827 to 1831.
He was commonwealth's attorney for Greensville County from 1827 to 1831.
He was a delegate to the Virginia constitutional conventions of 1829 and 1850.
In 1847, he was elected as a member of the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
.
Congressional service
Mason was elected as a
Jacksonian Democrat from
Virginia's 2nd congressional district
Virginia's second congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It currently encompasses all of Accomack, Northampton, and York Counties; all of the independent cities of Virginia Beach and Willia ...
to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
of the
22nd,
23rd and
24th United States Congress
The 24th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1835 ...
es and served from March 4, 1831, until his resignation January 11, 1837.
He was Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for the 24th United States Congress.
Following his departure from Congress, he resumed private practice in Hicksford from 1837 to 1841.
Federal judicial service
Mason was nominated by President
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...
on February 26, 1841, to a seat on the
vacated by Judge
Peter Vivian Daniel.
He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
on March 2, 1841, and received his commission on March 3, 1841.
His service terminated on March 23, 1844, due to his resignation.
Later career
Mason was appointed the 16th
United States Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
in the Cabinet of President
John Tyler
John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig tick ...
and served from March 14, 1844, to March 10, 1845, and again as the 18th Secretary in the Cabinet of President
James K. Polk from September 9, 1846, to March 7, 1849.
He was the 18th
Attorney General of the United States
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the ...
from March 11, 1845, to September 9, 1846.
He resumed the practice of law in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
, Virginia from 1849 to 1854.
He was appointed
United States Minister to France for the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other na ...
and served from January 22, 1854, until his death.
Personal life
Mason married Mary Ann Fort, the daughter of a prominent land-owner, in 1821 and became a planter himself, as well as continuing as a lawyer. He owned
Fortsville located near
Grizzard,
Sussex County, Virginia.
Mason died on October 3, 1859, in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
in the
French Empire.
His remains were conveyed to the United States and interred in
Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
Honors
USS ''Mason'' (DD-191) from 1920 to 1940, and
USS ''Mason'' (DDG-87) from 2003 to present, were named in honor of Secretary of the Navy John Y. Mason, sharing the honor on DDG-87 with another individual of the same last name.
Electoral history
*1831; Mason was elected with 57.88% of the vote, defeating Independent Richard Eppes.
*1833; Mason was re-elected unopposed.
See also
*
Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850
The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850 was an assembly of elected delegates chosen by the voters to write the fundamental law of Virginia. It is known as the Reform Convention because it liberalized Virginia political institutions.
Backgro ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, John Young
1799 births
1859 deaths
American planters
Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States federal judges appointed by Martin Van Buren
19th-century American judges
People from Greensville County, Virginia
Polk administration cabinet members
Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Ambassadors of the United States to France
United States Attorneys General
United States Secretaries of the Navy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
Virginia lawyers
Democratic Party Virginia state senators
Tyler administration cabinet members
19th-century American diplomats
Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
19th-century American politicians
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law