Ernest Lister (June 15, 1870June 14, 1919) was an American politician who served as the
eighth governor of Washington from 1913 to 1919.
Biography
Born in Halifax, England, Lister immigrated with his family in 1884, to be near his uncle, who was mayor of
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
.
Career
Lister began working as an iron-molder in his brother's foundry in
Tacoma. He operated a foundry and woodworking shop as well as working in real estate and insurance. He owned Lister Construction Company from 1903 to 1912, and President of Lister Manufacturing Company. He married Mary Alma Thornton on February 28, 1893, and they had two children, Florence and John Ernest. He was elected to the Tacoma City Council in 1894 as a
Populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
. After a successful management of Governor
John Rankin Rogers
John Rankin Rogers (September 4, 1838 – December 26, 1901) was an American politician who served as the third governor of Washington from 1897 to 1901. Elected as a member of the People's Party before switching his affiliation to the Democrat ...
' campaign in 1896, Lister was appointed chairman of the State Board of Control.
Lister became the only elected Democrat (but the first to be elected outright into the office as a member of that party) in Washington's executive branch of government when he was elected in 1912. He was sworn into the office on January 11, 1913, re-elected in 1916, and remained in it until he became ill during his second term and relinquished his office to the Lieutenant Governor.
As governor, he supported agricultural aid, irrigation and reclamation projects, and state industrial accident insurance. He vetoed legislation that would have denied civil rights to members of the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines genera ...
. And his efforts helped bring the
eight-hour work day to the Pacific Northwest.
Death
Lister died one day before his forty-ninth birthday, on June 14, 1919, from heart and kidney disease, in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. He is interred at Tacoma Cemetery,
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
.
See also
*
List of governors of Washington
The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WA Const. art. III, § 2. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,WA Const. art. III, § 5. the power to either a ...
References
Further reading
Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection
External links
Washington Secretary of State*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lister, Ernest
1870 births
1919 deaths
English emigrants to the United States
People from Halifax, West Yorkshire
Politicians from Tacoma, Washington
Washington (state) city council members
Democratic Party governors of Washington (state)
Washington (state) Populists
19th-century American politicians