Ross, John Wesley
lawyer, public official, was born June 23, 1841, in Lewistown, Ill. He received the rudiments of his education in private schools; attended the Lewistown, Ill., seminary until 1856; the Illinois college in 1856-62; and the Harvard Law school in 1864-65. The degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by the Georgetown university in 1885.
He was postmaster of Washington, D. C., in 1888-90; was appointed by President Harrison commissioner of the District of Columbia in September, 1890, receiving the reappointment to the same position by President Cleveland, and again by President McKinley; and is president of the board of commissioners. For two terms he was president of the board of trustees of the public schools of Washington, D. C.; and is one of the foremost lawyers of that city.