Joseph T. Ferguson (May 12, 1892October 22, 1979) was an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bi ...

and

perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...

from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

who participated in the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He served as Auditor of State for 18 years and as Treasurer of State of Ohio for 4 years. His nickname was ''Jumpin' Joe.'' Both Ferguson and his son, Thomas E. Ferguson, served as Auditor of State of Ohio. From 1937 to 1995, the Ferguson dynasty held the position for 40 of the 58 years.

Career

Joseph T. Ferguson was born in Perry County in 1892. Not much is known about his private life. He ran unsuccessfully in 1928 for the Office of the Auditor of State of Ohio. His candidacy in 1936 was successful. He was re-elected three times as a result. In his fourth re-election in 1952, he suffered a defeat. Ferguson held the post of Auditor of State from 1937 to 1953. During this time he ran in 1944 for the Democratic nomination for the office of

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. He participated in 1944, 1960 and 1972 as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions. In 1950, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States Senate. From 1959 to 1963, Ferguson was Treasurer of the State of Ohio. From 1971 to 1975 he then again held the post of Auditor of State of Ohio. After his death, he was buried at Saint Mary Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio. (Ohio). In 1974, the ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit against Ferguson, who was withholding state payments for abortions of state Welfare recipients. Roe v. Ferguson proceeded on Spetermber 16, 1974 in the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties–everything from the Columbus are ...

. Ferguson was a member of the

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

, the Eagles, Moose, Grange, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

References

Ohio Democrats 1892 births 1979 deaths {{Ohio-politician-stub