William
Stephens was born in Eaton, Ohio, on 26th December, 1859. After graduating
from Eaton High School he studied law. Later he became involved in
the construction of railroads in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Louisiana.
In
1887 Stephens moved to California and established a wholesale and
retail grocery business. He was president of the Los Angeles Chamber
of Commerce before becoming mayor of Los
Angeles in 1909.
A
member of the Republican Party, Stephens
was elected to Congress in 1910 and served from March, 1911 to July,
1916. The following year he was
elected as Governor of California. During his period of office the
state suffered from serious industrial disputes and acts of terrorism,
including the bombing of the Governor's Mansion in 1917.
After appeals from President Woodrow Wilson,
Stephens agreed to commute the death sentence of Tom
Mooney who had been convicted of the bombing which occurred in
San Francisco in 1916.
After
leaving office he worked as a lawyer in Los
Angeles. William Stephens died on 24th April, 1944.
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