James Philip Eagle

James Philip Eagle (August 10, 1837 – December 20, 1904) was an American politician who served as speaker of the Arkansas House and as the 16th governor of Arkansas, a Baptist minister, and president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

James Philip Eagle
16th Governor of Arkansas
In office
January 8, 1889 – January 14, 1893
Preceded bySimon Pollard Hughes, Jr.
Succeeded byWilliam Meade Fishback
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
In office
1873–1874
1877–1878
1885–1886
Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives
In office
1885–1887
Preceded byW. C. Braley
Succeeded byJohn Marshall Hewitt
Personal details
Born(1837-08-10)August 10, 1837
Maury County, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 1904(1904-12-20) (aged 67)
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Resting placeMount Holly Cemetery,
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary Kavanaugh Eagle
Signature

Biography

Eagle was born in Maury County, Tennessee.[1] His family moved to Arkansas early in his life and he was educated in the public schools. He married Mary Kavanaugh Oldham in 1882.[2] Her brother William Kavanaugh Oldham moved to Arkansas in 1885 and later entered politics himself, serving as acting governor for a brief time in 1913. A younger brother, Kies Oldham, served as Eagle's personal secretary during his time as governor.

Career

Eagle was appointed deputy sheriff of Prairie County, Arkansas, in 1859, a position he held until the start of the American Civil War. Eagle enlisted in the Confederate States Army and rose to the rank of colonel. He served with the 5th Arkansas Infantry and the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles. He campaigned with the Army of Tennessee and fought in most of that army's campaigns from the initial battles in Kentucky all the way to the Battle of Nashville. Eagle was wounded during the Atlanta Campaign.

At the conclusion of the war, Eagle attended Mississippi College for less than one year but was forced to withdraw due to illness. He studied for the ministry and was ordained as a Baptist preacher.[3]

Eagle served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1873 to 1878. He supported Baxter during the Brooks–Baxter War. Eagle served as speaker of the house in 1875.

Eagle was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1888, and was reelected for a second term in 1890.[4] The Eagle administration concerned itself with attracting immigration and support for education. Eagle was sympathetic to women's suffrage and once welcomed Susan B. Anthony to the state though he did not provide active political support.

Eagle served on the state capitol commission but was fired by Governor Jeff Davis for allegedly campaigning for an opponent of Davis. Davis was opposed to the construction of the new capitol building.

Ministry

In 1880 he became president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention until 1904. [5]In 1902 he became president of the Southern Baptist Convention until 1904. [6]

Death

Eagle died at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, of heart failure, on December 20, 1904.[7] He is buried at the historic Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.

See also

References
  1. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. I. James T. White & Company. 1893. p. 455. Retrieved April 26, 2021 – via Google Books.
  2. Who's Who in America, Volume 2, 1901-2, Chicago: A. N Marquis & Co., entry "James Phillip Eagle"
  3. "James Phillip Eagle (1889–1893)". Old State Museum. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  4. "Arkansas Governor James Philip Eagle". National Governors Association. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  5. Jeannie M. Whayne, Thomas A. DeBlack, George Sabo, Morris S. Arnold, Arkansas: A Concise History, University of Arkansas Press, USA, 2019, p. 231
  6. Jeannie M. Whayne, Thomas A. DeBlack, George Sabo, Morris S. Arnold, Arkansas: A Concise History, University of Arkansas Press, USA, 2019, p. 231
  7. "Former Governor James Eagle Dead". Arkansas Gazette. December 21, 1904. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved April 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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