Moses J. Wentworth
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Moses J. Wentworth
| image = Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) c. 1908.png
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Moses Jones Wentworth
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1848|05|09}}
| birth_place = Sandwich, New Hampshire
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1922|03|12|1848|05|09}}
| death_place = Chicago, Illinois
| resting_place = Rosehill Cemetery
| occupation = Lawyer, politician
| awards =
| spouse = {{Marriage|Lizzie Shaw Hunt|December 7, 1891}}
| children = 2
| education = {{Plainlist|
}}
| signature =
| party = {{Plainlist|
}}
| office = Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
| constituency = 1st District
| term_start = 1875
| term_end = 1882
}}
Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) was an American lawyer and politician from Chicago, who served as a member of the 29th, 30th, and 31st General Assemblies in the Illinois House of Representatives, from the 1st District.Illinois Legislative Manual for 1875, Roster of the Illinois House of Representatives, p. 88{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56438416/chicago-tribune/ |title=Capitalist and Pioneer Expires at 74 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=1 |date=1922-03-12 |access-date=2023-04-21 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was elected as a member of the short-lived Illinois Opposition Party.
Biography
Moses J. Wentworth was born in Sandwich, New Hampshire on May 9, 1848. He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1863, and from Harvard College in 1868. He moved to Chicago later that year.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u_gkAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA159 |title=Harvard College Class of 1868 Fortieth Anniversary Secretary's Report No. 8 |publisher=E. O. Cockayne |place=Boston |pages=159–162 |date=1908 |access-date=2023-04-21 |via=Google Books}}
File:Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) c. 1868.png
He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Chicago Law School, and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1871.
File:Grave of Moses Jones Wentworth (1848–1922) at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago 1.jpg
While in the Illinois General Assembly, Wentworth introduced the successful statute which required compulsory school attendance in Illinois.Editorial: "Compulsory Schooling in Illinois" Skandinaven April 22, 1879
By 1896 he was associated with the Democratic Party, and was a gold Democrat delegate to the 1896 Democratic National Convention.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123305401/silver-men-confident-part-1/ |title=Silver Men Confident; Have No Doubt They Will Control the Chicago Convention; Talk Like Wild Fanatics |newspaper=The New York Times |place=Chicago |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123305509/silver-men-confident-part-2/ 2] |date=1896-06-29 |publication-date=June 30, 1896 |access-date=2023-04-21 |via=Newspapers.com}}
He married Lizzie Shaw Hunt on December 7, 1891, and they had two sons. He was the nephew of "Long John" Wentworth, mayor of Chicago, and handled his uncle's business affairs and estate.
Moses J. Wentworth died at his home in Chicago on March 12, 1922, and was buried at Rosehill Cemetery.
References
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Category:Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives
Category:Harvard College alumni
Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni
Category:Burials at Rosehill Cemetery
Category:19th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly
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