John Davis Long

John Davis Long
Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party
In office 1902–1903
Preceded by	A. H. Goetting
Succeeded by	Thomas Talbot
34th United States Secretary of the Navy
In office March 6, 1897 – April 30, 1902
President	William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	Hilary A. Herbert
Succeeded by	William Moody
32nd Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 8, 1880 – January 4, 1883
Lieutenant	Byron Weston
Preceded by	Thomas Talbot
Succeeded by	Benjamin Butler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889
Preceded by	Benjamin W. Harris
Succeeded by	Elijah A. Morse
31st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 2, 1879 – January 8, 1880
Governor	Thomas Talbot
Preceded by	Horatio G. Knight
Succeeded by	Byron Weston
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office 1876–1878
Preceded by	John E. Sanford
Succeeded by	Levi C. Wade
Personal details
Born	(1838-10-27)October 27, 1838 Buckfield, Maine, U.S.
Died	August 28, 1915(1915-08-28) (aged 76) Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Glover ​ ​ (m. 1869; died 1882)​ Agnes Pierce
Children	3
Education	Harvard University (BA, LLB)
Signature

John Davis Long (October 27, 1838 – August 28, 1915) was an American lawyer, politician, and writer from Massachusetts. He was the 32nd governor of Massachusetts, serving from 1880 to 1883. He later served as the Secretary of the Navy from 1897 to 1902, a period that included the primarily naval Spanish–American War.

Born in Buckfield, Maine, Long was educated as a lawyer at Harvard University, later settling in Hingham, Massachusetts. He became active in Republican Party politics in the 1870s, winning election for the state legislature in 1874. He rose rapidly in prominence, and was elected lieutenant governor in 1879 and governor in 1880. He advocated modest reforms during his three years as governor, which were relatively uneventful.

After returning to private practice he was offered a cabinet post by his friend, President William McKinley, in 1896. He chose to become Secretary of the Navy despite lacking detailed knowledge of naval matters. He clashed with his Under-Secretary, Theodore Roosevelt, over expansion of the Navy when the Spanish–American War broke out in 1898. He resigned the post after Roosevelt became president, and resumed his law practice. He died at his home in 1915; his publications include a lifelong journal, a history of the Spanish–American War, and a verse translation of Virgil's Aeneid.