Miles Benjamin McSweeney (April 18, 1855September 29, 1909) was the 87th

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 June 2, 1899, to January 20, 1903. McSweeney was born in

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

and was forced to become a

paperboy A paperboy is someoneoften an older child or adolescentwho distributes printed newspapers to homes or offices on a regular route, usually by bicycle or automobile. In Western nations during the heyday of print newspapers during the early 20th ...

at the age of 10 in order to help support his family when his father died. He went to

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

to attend

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 ...

upon being awarded the Typographical Union of Charleston Scholarship, but later had to withdraw due to lack of funds. He published the ''Ninety-Six Guardian'' at the age of 22 and he moved to Hampton two years later to start the ''Hampton County Guardian''. In 1894, McSweeney was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and additionally served as the chairman of the Hampton County Democratic Party. He successfully ran for

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 ...

in 1896 and was elevated to the governorship following the death of Governor

William Haselden Ellerbe William Haselden Ellerbe (April 7, 1862June 2, 1899) was the 86th governor of South Carolina from 1897 to 1899. Early life and marriage Born in Marion, South Carolina, he was raised in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina and attended Wofford ...

on June 2, 1899. A proponent of the state Dispensary and backed by Senator

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 ...

, McSweeney won a term on his own in the gubernatorial election of 1900. However, many in Hampton were in favor of prohibition and the ''Hampton County Guardian'' lost advertising revenue and subscriptions because of McSweeney's support of the Dispensary. Upon the completion of his term as governor in 1903, McSweeney returned to Hampton and continued as editor of the ''Hampton County Guardian''. He died in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

on September 29, 1909, and was buried at Hampton Cemetery in Hampton.

External links

SCIway Biography of Miles Benjamin McSweeney

NGA Biography of Miles Benjamin McSweeney

History of the ''Hampton County Guardian''
{{DEFAULTSORT:McSweeney, Miles Benjamin 1855 births 1909 deaths Washington and Lee University alumni Democratic Party governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees American newspaper founders 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) American newspaper publishers (people) Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina