Samuel Davis Wilson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Davis Wilson was a U.S. politician; he served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 1936 until his death in 1939.
Wilson was born in Boston
, Massachusetts
, in 1881. He was educated at the Phillips Exeter Academy
.
In 1938, Wilson was a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. He was twice indicted by a grand jury in 1938-39 on charges related to vice and gambling in Philadelphia but was never tried.
In the mayoral election of 1935, Wilson, running as a Republican, defeated Democrat John B. Kelly, Sr.
, 379,222 votes to 333,825. As mayor, Wilson took office on January 6, 1936. He died in office, from cerebral thrombosis and hypertension, in Philadelphia, August 19, 1939. His remains were cremated.
Wilson was born in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, in 1881. He was educated at the Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
.
In 1938, Wilson was a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. He was twice indicted by a grand jury in 1938-39 on charges related to vice and gambling in Philadelphia but was never tried.
In the mayoral election of 1935, Wilson, running as a Republican, defeated Democrat John B. Kelly, Sr.
John B. Kelly, Sr.
John Brendan Kelly, Sr., also known as Jack Kelly, was one of the most accomplished American oarsmen in the history of the sport of rowing. He was a triple Olympic Gold Medal winner, the first to do so in the sport of rowing. He won 126 straight races in the single scull...
, 379,222 votes to 333,825. As mayor, Wilson took office on January 6, 1936. He died in office, from cerebral thrombosis and hypertension, in Philadelphia, August 19, 1939. His remains were cremated.
Further reading
- John P. Rossi, "Philadelphia's Forgotten Mayor: S. Davis Wilson", Pennsylvania History, Vol. 51, No. 2 (April, 1984), pp. 154-166.