John Gardiner Richards Jr.

John Gardiner Richards Jr. (September 11, 1864 – October 9, 1941) was the 96th Governor of South Carolina from 1927 to 1931.

John Gardiner Richards Jr.
96th Governor of South Carolina
In office January 18, 1927 – January 20, 1931
Lieutenant	Thomas Bothwell Butler
Preceded by	Thomas Gordon McLeod
Succeeded by	Ibra Charles Blackwood
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Kershaw County
In office January 10, 1899 – January 10, 1911
Personal details
Born	(1864-09-11)September 11, 1864 Liberty Hill, South Carolina, C.S.A.
Died	October 9, 1941(1941-10-09) (aged 77) Liberty Hill, South Carolina

Biography

He was born in Liberty Hill, South Carolina on September 11, 1864 to John G. Richards and Sophia Edwards Smith.

He attended schools in Liberty Hill and North Carolina's Bingham Military Institute for a short time.

In 1898 he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 1910 he was appointed as the South Carolina Railroad Commissioner.

The South Carolina Constitution had been amended in 1926 to give the governor a four-year term and Richards became the first South Carolina governor elected for a four-year term. His time as Governor was noted for his strict observance of Blue laws, even chastising golfers for playing on Sunday.[1]

He died on October 9, 1941 on Liberty Hill, South Carolina.

References

1. From Walter Edgar's South Carolina: A History, p. 484:

External links

• SCIway Biography of Governor John Gardiner Richards
• South Carolina Encyclopedia Biography of Governor John Gardiner Richards
• Letter written in 1926 by John G. Richards

Party political offices
Preceded by Thomas Gordon McLeod	Democratic nominee for Governor of South Carolina 1926	Succeeded by Ibra Charles Blackwood
Political offices
Preceded by Thomas Gordon McLeod	Governor of South Carolina 1927–1931	Succeeded by Ibra Charles Blackwood