Jonathan Ross was a United States Senator from
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Born in
Waterford, VermontWaterford is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,104 at the 2000 census.The town was originally called Littleton but the name was changed to Waterford in 1797.-Geography:...
, he attended the public schools and
St. Johnsbury AcademySt. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
; he graduated from
Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1851 and was principal of the Chelsea and Craftsbury Academies from 1851 to 1856. He studied law, was admitted to the
barBar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1856 and practiced in St. Johnsbury until 1870; he was
State's attorneyIn the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
for
Caledonia CountyCaledonia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 31,227. Its shire town is St. Johnsbury.The county was given the Latin name for Scotland, in honor of the many settlers who claimed ancestry there....
, 1862–1863 and was appointed a member of the State
board of educationA board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
, holding that office from 1866 to 1870. From 1865 to 1867 he was a member of the
Vermont House of RepresentativesThe Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
and was a
State senatorThe Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...
in 1870. He was judge of the
Vermont Supreme CourtThe Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont and is one of seven state courts of Vermont.The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices; the Court mostly hears appeals of cases that have been decided by other courts...
form 1870 to 1890 and Chief Justice of Vermont from 1890 to 1899.
Ross was appointed as a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justin S. Morrill and served from January 11, 1899 to October 18, 1900, when a successor was elected; he was not an active candidate for reelection in 1900. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service (Fifty-sixth Congress). After his time in the Senate, he was chairman of the board of State railroad commissioners (1900–1902). He died in St. Johnsbury in 1905; interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Ross married twice. He first married Eliza Ann Carpenter on November 22, 1852 with whom he had eight children. Years after her death in 1886, he married Helen Daggert. Both of his wives are buried at either side of his grave.
External links
- Jonathan Ross at Find A Grave
Find a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...