John M. Slaton

John M. Slaton
60th Governor of Georgia
In office
June 28, 1913 – June 26, 1915
Preceded byJoseph M. Brown
Succeeded byNathaniel E. Harris
In office
November 16, 1911 – January 25, 1912
Preceded byM. Hoke Smith
Succeeded byJoseph M. Brown
Member of the Georgia Senate
In office
1909-1913
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office
1896-1909
Personal details
Born
John Marshall Slaton

(1866-12-25)December 25, 1866
Meriwether County, Georgia, U.S.
DiedJanuary 11, 1955(1955-01-11) (aged 88)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Resting placeOakland Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Sarah "Sally" Frances Grant
(m. 1898; died 1945)
Alma materUniversity of Georgia (MA)

John Marshall Slaton (December 25, 1866 – January 11, 1955) served two non-consecutive terms as the 60th Governor of Georgia. His political career ended in 1915 after he commuted the death sentence of Atlanta factory boss Leo Frank, who had been convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. Because of Slaton's law firm partnership with Frank's defense counsel, claims were made that Slaton's involvement represented a conflict of interest. Soon after Slaton's action, Frank was lynched. After Slaton's term as governor ended, he and his wife left the state for a decade. Slaton later served as president of the Georgia State Bar Association.

Slaton and his wife, Sarah Frances Grant