William Stephens
| William Stephens | |
|---|---|
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| 24th Governor of California | |
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In office March 15, 1917 – January 8, 1923 |
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| Lieutenant | Arthur H. Breed, Sr. C. C. Young |
| Preceded by | Hiram Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Friend Richardson |
| 27th Lieutenant Governor of California | |
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In office July 22, 1916 – March 15, 1917 |
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| Governor | Hiram Johnson |
| Preceded by | John Morton Eshleman |
| Succeeded by | Arthur H. Breed, Sr. |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 10th district |
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In office March 4, 1913 – July 22, 1916 |
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| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Henry S. Benedict |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 7th district |
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In office March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 |
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| Preceded by | James McLachlan |
| Succeeded by | Denver S. Church |
| 27th Mayor of Los Angeles | |
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In office March 15, 1909 – March 26, 1909 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur C. Harper |
| Succeeded by | George Alexander |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Dennison Stephens December 26, 1859 Eaton, Ohio |
| Died | April 25, 1944 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California |
| Political party |
Republican Progressive |
| Spouse(s) | Flora E. Rawson Stephens |
| Profession | Engineer, politician |
William Dennison Stephens (December 26, 1859 – April 25, 1944) was an American federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was the 24th governor of California from 1917 to 1923.
William Stephens was born in Eaton, Ohio on December 26, 1859. He was the third child out of a total of nine children born to Martin and Alvira Stephens. With ambitions to become a lawyer, Stephens studied earnestly in law to become a lawyer, yet family fortunes required all of his earnings to go to his family instead.
Following his graduation from Eaton High School in 1876, Stephens worked for three years as a school teacher before joining the railroad business to become an engineer. Between 1880 and 1887, Stephens helped survey the construction of railroads in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Louisiana. His days in the railroads came to an end in 1887 when his mother, Alvira, now falling ill, sought a hot and drier climate to improve her health. The Stephens family, including William, relocated to Los Angeles, California that year, though Alvira would be dead within a year.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Stephens began to work as a traveling salesman and later as a grocery manager. In 1891, Stephens married Flora E. Rawson (1869–1931). In 1902, he became a partner in Carr and Stephens Groceries, giving Stephens wide name recognition throughout Los Angeles. Increasingly, Stephens became involved in business and municipal politics, serving on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce from 1902 to 1911, as well as being elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education from 1906 to 1907. Stephens further served on the Los Angeles Board of Water Commissioners, working alongside William Mulholland in an advisory committee for the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
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