John M. Slaton | |
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60th Governor of Georgia | |
In office June 28, 1913 – June 26, 1915 | |
Preceded by | Joseph M. Brown |
Succeeded by | Nathaniel E. Harris |
In office November 16, 1911 – January 25, 1912 | |
Preceded by | M. Hoke Smith |
Succeeded by | Joseph M. Brown |
Member of the Georgia Senate | |
In office 1909-1913 | |
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
In office 1896-1909 | |
Personal details | |
Born | John Marshall Slaton December 25, 1866 Meriwether County, Georgia, U.S. |
Died | January 11, 1955 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | (aged 88)
Resting place | Oakland Cemetery |
Nationality | American |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Sarah "Sally" Frances Grant
(m. 1898; died 1945) |
Alma mater | University of Georgia (MA) |
John Marshall Slaton (December 25, 1866 – January 11, 1955) served two non-consecutive terms as the 60th Governor of Georgia. His political career ended in 1915 after he commuted the death sentence of Atlanta factory boss Leo Frank, who had been convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. Because of Slaton's law firm partnership with Frank's defense counsel, claims were made that Slaton's involvement represented a conflict of interest. Soon after Slaton's action, Frank was lynched. After Slaton's term as governor ended, he and his wife left the state for a decade. Slaton later served as president of the Georgia State Bar Association.