John Travers Wood | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Idaho Statesman, November 3, 1952 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Compton White, Sr. |
| Succeeded by | Gracie Pfost |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 25, 1878 Wakefield, United Kingdom |
| Died | November 2, 1954 (aged 75) Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Cemetery Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret O. Thomson (1889–1978) (m. 1907–1954, his death)[1] |
| Children | 5[2] |
| Residence | Coeur d'Alene |
| Education | Detroit College of Medicine (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant |
| Unit |  Medical Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
John Travers Wood (November 25, 1878 – November 2, 1954) was an American physician and politician who served as a one-term congressman from northern Idaho from 1951 to 1953.[3]
Born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Wood immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1889. They settled in Woodridge, North Dakota, and he became a naturalized a citizen in 1901. After graduating public schools there, he taught school for six years. He then graduated from Detroit College of Medicine.
After graduating from medical school, Wood moved to Hannah, North Dakota, where he operated a medical practice before moving west to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[3]
From 1910 to 1950, he worked as a surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. In addition, he served as the mayor of Coeur d'Alene during 1911 and 1912, and founded the town's hospital. During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the medical corps of the U.S. Army.
In the 1950 election, Wood ran as a Republican for the open seat in Congress from Idaho's first district. He took office at age 72 and served a single term, narrowly losing his re-election bid in 1952 to Gracie Pfost. During his term, he also mentioned his distrust of the United Nations, citing its charter's similarities to the Soviet Union's constitution, and mentioned as much to the U.S. Flag Committee.[4]
Wood left the House in January 1953 and returned to Coeur d'Alene, where he died less than two years later.[2]
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Gracie Pfost | 41,040 | 49.5% | John T. Wood | 41,823 | 50.5% | |||
| 1952 | Gracie Pfost | 54,725 | 50.3% | John T. Wood (inc.) | 54,134 | 49.7% |
Source:[5]
