John Travers Wood

This article is about the congressman from Idaho. For other people with similar names, see John Wood (disambiguation).
John Travers Wood
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 byCompton White, Sr.
Succeeded byGracie Pfost
Personal details
Born(1878-11-25)November 25, 1878
Wakefield, England, United Kingdom
DiedNovember 2, 1954(1954-11-02) (aged 75)
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Resting placeForest Cemetery
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
PartyRepublican
Other political
affiliations		Socialist Party of America
Spouse(s)Margaret O. Thomson
(1889–1978)
(m. 1907–1954, his death)[1]
Children5[2]
ResidenceCoeur d'Alene
EducationDetroit College of Medicine (MD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Rank  First Lieutenant
Unit Medical Corps
Battles/warsWorld War I

John Travers Wood (November 25, 1878 – November 2, 1954) was an American physician and politician who served as a one-term U.S. representative from northern Idaho from 1951 to 1953.[3]

Early life and education

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.

Career

After graduating from medical school, Wood moved to Hannah, North Dakota, where he operated a medical practice before relocating west to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[3]

From 1910 to 1950, Wood worked as a traveling surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.

He was elected mayor of Coeur d'Alene for a term lasting from 1911 to 1913 as a member of the Socialist Party of America, becoming one of the first Socialist mayors in the United States.[4] Wood also founded the town's hospital.

During World War I, he served as a first lieutenant in the medical corps of the United States Army.

Congress

In the 1950 election, Wood ran as a Republican for the open seat in Congress from Idaho's first district. He took office at the age 72 and served a single term, narrowly losing his re-election bid in 1952 to Gracie Pfost, the first woman to represent Idaho.

During his term, he 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.[5]

Personal life

Wood left the House in January 1953 and returned to Coeur d'Alene, where he died less than two years later.[2]

Election results

U.S. House elections (Idaho's 1st district): Results 1950–1952
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:[6]

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Federal government of the United States.

  1. ^ "Margaret O. Wood". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. September 5, 1978. p. 10.
  2. ^ a b "Dr. John Wood, ex-Idaho solon, taken by death". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. November 2, 1954. p. 1.
  3. ^ a b "Dr. J.T. Wood's rites Thursday". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. November 3, 1954. p. 2.
  4. ^ Politics, Fascinating (2024-01-14). "The Socialists And How They Scored by DW-Nominate". Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved 2025-10-20.
  5. ^ "Who Commands United Nations Military?".
  6. ^ "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
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