John L. Griffiths

John Lewis Griffiths (October 7, 1855 – May 17, 1914), was an American lawyer and diplomat. He served in the Indiana state legislature, was active in Republican politics, and was Consul General of the United States to Britain, from 1905 until his death in 1914.[1]

John L. Griffiths
Middle-aged white man in profile; he has short hair, round cheeks, and a heavy brow
John L. Griffiths, from a 1906 newspaper
BornOctober 7, 1855
New York, New York, US
DiedMay 17, 1914
London, UK
Occupation(s)Lawyer, politician, diplomat

Early life

John Lewis Griffiths was born in New York City, the son of Welsh immigrants David G. Griffiths and Elizabeth Griffiths. He moved with his parents to Iowa after the American Civil War, and completed his undergraduate and legal education at Iowa State University, earning a law degree in 1875.[2]

Funeral for Griffiths, May 1914

Career

Griffiths practiced as a lawyer in Indianapolis. He served in the Indiana legislature in 1886 and 1887, and twice ran unsuccessfully for governor. He was active in Republican politics and a popular orator.[3] In 1905, he was appointed as the United States consul in Liverpool. In 1909, he became the American consul-general in London.[4] He was writing a biography of William Henry Harrison at the time of his death in 1914.[2]

Personal life

Griffiths married Caroline Henderson in 1889.[5][6] He died suddenly, from an apparent heart attack,[7] in London in 1914, aged 58 years.[2] His funeral was held in New York City, and his grave is in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery.[8] His widow edited a collection of his speeches, The Greater Patriotism, published in 1918.[9] His home in Indianapolis is now known as the Kemper House, and houses the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.[10]

References
  1. "Griffiths Funeral Monday; Services for Consul General to be Held in First Presbyterian Church". New York Times. May 30, 1914. Retrieved 2011-03-11. The body of John L. Griffiths, Consul General of the United States in London, is being brought here on the Carmania, due to arrive tomorrow. The funeral ...
  2. "Notable Deaths: John Lewis Griffiths." The Annals of Iowa11 (1915), 629-629. 11 (1915), 629.
  3. "Great Crowd Gives Statesmen Ovation". The Indianapolis Star. 1906-10-31. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Good Words for Griffiths". The Indianapolis Star. 1909-06-03. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Untitled social item". The Indianapolis Journal. 1889-05-23. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "John L. Griffiths, Gentleman, Lawyer, and Loyal Citizen". The South Bend Tribune. 1905-01-28. p. 9. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "John L. Griffiths Dies in London; Apparently in Good Health, Consul General Succumbs to a Heart Seizure". The New York Times. 1914-05-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  8. "Bar Association Drafts Tribute". The Indianapolis Star. 1914-06-02. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Griffiths, John Lewis; Griffiths, Caroline Henderson (1918). The greater patriotism; public addresses by John Lewis Griffiths, American consul general at London, delivered in England and America. London; New York: J. Lane; John Lane Company. OCLC 2036799.
  10. Pierson-Griffiths House / Kemper House, 1986; at Indiana Memory.
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