James D. Porter, Jr.
| James Davis Porter | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Porter by Washington B. Cooper
|
|
| 20th Governor of Tennessee | |
|
In office January 18, 1875 – February 16, 1879 |
|
| Preceded by | John C. Brown |
| Succeeded by | Albert S. Marks |
| United States Assistant Secretary of State | |
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In office March 20, 1885 – September 17, 1887 |
|
| President | Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | John Davis |
| Succeeded by | George L. Rives |
| United States Minister to Chile | |
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In office July 4, 1893 – March 14, 1894 |
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| President | Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | Patrick Egan |
| Succeeded by | Edward H. Strobel |
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives | |
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In office 1859–1861 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 7, 1828 Paris, Tennessee |
| Died | May 18, 1912 (aged 83) Paris, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Paris City Cemetery Paris, Tennessee |
| Political party |
Whig Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Susannah Dunlap (m. 1851) |
| Profession | Attorney, educator |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
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| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army
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| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant colonel
|
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War • Belmont (1861) • Shiloh (1862) • Chickamauga (1863) • Missionary Ridge (1863) • Atlanta Campaign (1864) • Nashville (1864) |
James Davis Porter (December 7, 1828 – May 18, 1912) was an American politician, educator, and soldier. He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1875 to 1879, and was subsequently appointed Assistant Secretary of State during President Grover Cleveland's first administration, and Minister to Chile in Cleveland's second administration. As a state legislator on the eve of the Civil War, Porter introduced the "Porter resolutions," which bound Tennessee to the Confederacy should war be declared. He spent much of the war as General Benjamin F. Cheatham's chief of staff, and saw action at various battles in Tennessee and Georgia.
Porter spent his later years as chancellor of his alma mater, the University of Nashville, and as president of Peabody College, which was established at the University of Nashville during his gubernatorial administration. He oversaw the liquidation and transfer of the University of Nashville's assets to the Peabody Education Fund, which allowed Peabody College to be reestablished near Vanderbilt University in 1909.
Porter was born in Paris, Tennessee, the son of Dr. Thomas Kennedy Porter and Geraldine Horton Porter. He attended the University of Nashville, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1846, and a Master of Arts in 1849. He studied law under Paris attorney John Dunlap (his future father-in-law), and was admitted to the bar in 1851.
Porter was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1859. In 1861, he introduced the "Porter resolutions," which were eventually adopted. These resolutions stipulated that in the event of war between seceding states and the Union, Tennessee would align itself with the seceding states. In early May 1861, following the Battle of Fort Sumter, these measures were enacted, and Tennessee signed a military pact with the Confederacy.
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