John Davis O'Rear was the son of Benjamin Franklin O'Rear and Margaret Colton Bartlett (the granddaughter of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence). O'Rear grew up in the county and was educated in the schools of Mexico, Missouri. He graduated from high school in 1890 and went on to teach school and study law until his admission to the bar in 1893. He served for a time as City Counsel of Mexico and was later twice elected as Prosecuting Attorney of Audrain County. In addition to his legal practice, he served on the State Democratic Committee. In 1905 he married Eugenie Bragg.
O'Rear became a close friend and strong supporter of another resident of Missouri's 9th Congressional District - James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark. Clark was twenty years older than O'Rear and was first elected to Congress at the time that O'Rear was beginning his legal career. O'Rear's work as city and county attorney closely paralleled Clark's early career, and O'Rear's support of Clark through his involvement with Democratic politics at the district and state level forged a solid relationship between the two men. Clark was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911-1919 and frontrunner for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination (which ultimately went to Woodrow Wilson). After Wilson's election, Speaker Clark made it very clear that O'Rear's appointment as U.S. Minister to one of the South American republics was one of his highest priorities. Although there was some personal animosity between Speaker Clark and Secretary of State Bryan at the time, Bryan ultimately expressed his support and, on June 26, 1913, President Wilson announced the appointment of 43-year-old John Davis O'Rear to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Bolivia. O'Rear and his wife travelled to La Paz where he presented his credentials on August 31, 1913. Subsequently, the press strongly criticized the appointment of O'Rear and a number of others whose experience and skills were extremely meager compared to those of the diplomats they replaced.
The couple's only child, John Davis O'Rear Jr., was born in La Paz on November 17, 1914. In the course of his service in Bolivia, O'Rear was a strong supporter of the expansion of U.S. commercial interests in the country. He was also interested in local artifacts, collecting two mysterious red sandstone carvings that were among sixty such objects that railway engineers discovered in a large mound in the region of Oruro, Bolivia. It is possible that the carvings were artifacts of the Tiwanku civilization which preceded the Inca Empire.
John D. O'Rear died of smallpox on July 14th, 1918. His funeral services were held in La Paz on July 17th. As a mark of respect, the French Legation postponed the reception that it had planned for the 17th.
It was subsequently rumored that O'Rear was not dead, and that the funeral was a ruse to escape an investigation into reports that he was providing assistance to the Germans. The government of Bolivia investigated and, on July 23rd, it was reported that speculation that O'Rear's coffin was unoccupied was false and that O'Rear was, in fact, dead.
Soon thereafter, O'Rear's wife and 3-year-old son returned to the United States.
Memorials
John D. O'Rear is among those who are commemorated on the American Foreign Service Association Memorial Plaques in the lobby of the Harry S Truman Building - the headquarters of the State Department.
In 1928 a bill was introduced in Congress to erect a monument on John D. O'Rear's grave in Bolivia.
References
Test of Wilson Rule - The Washington Post, March 10, 1913 - page 1.
The Diplomats of Democracy by Colonel George Harvey - The New York Times - February 1, 1914 - page SM2.
Civil Service Forgotten in Race for Spoils by Arthur Sears Henning - Chicago Daily Tribune - October 12, 1916 - page 9.
John D. O'Rear Dead - The New York Times - July 16, 1918 - page 13.
U.S. Minister Dies in Bolivia - The Washington Post - July 16, 1918 - page 2.
Bolivia Proves Envoy of U.S. Really Is Dead - Chicago Daily Tribune - July 24, 1918 - page 4.
A Note on Two Stone Objects from Southern Bolivia by Philip Ainsworth Means - American Anthropologist - Volume 20, Issue 2 (April-June 1918), pages 245-246.
O'Rear became a close friend and strong supporter of another resident of Missouri's 9th Congressional District - James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark. Clark was twenty years older than O'Rear and was first elected to Congress at the time that O'Rear was beginning his legal career. O'Rear's work as city and county attorney closely paralleled Clark's early career, and O'Rear's support of Clark through his involvement with Democratic politics at the district and state level forged a solid relationship between the two men. Clark was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911-1919 and frontrunner for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination (which ultimately went to Woodrow Wilson). After Wilson's election, Speaker Clark made it very clear that O'Rear's appointment as U.S. Minister to one of the South American republics was one of his highest priorities. Although there was some personal animosity between Speaker Clark and Secretary of State Bryan at the time, Bryan ultimately expressed his support and, on June 26, 1913, President Wilson announced the appointment of 43-year-old John Davis O'Rear to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Bolivia. O'Rear and his wife travelled to La Paz where he presented his credentials on August 31, 1913. Subsequently, the press strongly criticized the appointment of O'Rear and a number of others whose experience and skills were extremely meager compared to those of the diplomats they replaced.
The couple's only child, John Davis O'Rear Jr., was born in La Paz on November 17, 1914. In the course of his service in Bolivia, O'Rear was a strong supporter of the expansion of U.S. commercial interests in the country. He was also interested in local artifacts, collecting two mysterious red sandstone carvings that were among sixty such objects that railway engineers discovered in a large mound in the region of Oruro, Bolivia. It is possible that the carvings were artifacts of the Tiwanku civilization which preceded the Inca Empire.
John D. O'Rear died of smallpox on July 14th, 1918. His funeral services were held in La Paz on July 17th. As a mark of respect, the French Legation postponed the reception that it had planned for the 17th.
It was subsequently rumored that O'Rear was not dead, and that the funeral was a ruse to escape an investigation into reports that he was providing assistance to the Germans. The government of Bolivia investigated and, on July 23rd, it was reported that speculation that O'Rear's coffin was unoccupied was false and that O'Rear was, in fact, dead.
Soon thereafter, O'Rear's wife and 3-year-old son returned to the United States.
Memorials
John D. O'Rear is among those who are commemorated on the American Foreign Service Association Memorial Plaques in the lobby of the Harry S Truman Building - the headquarters of the State Department.
In 1928 a bill was introduced in Congress to erect a monument on John D. O'Rear's grave in Bolivia.
References
Test of Wilson Rule - The Washington Post, March 10, 1913 - page 1.
The Diplomats of Democracy by Colonel George Harvey - The New York Times - February 1, 1914 - page SM2.
Civil Service Forgotten in Race for Spoils by Arthur Sears Henning - Chicago Daily Tribune - October 12, 1916 - page 9.
John D. O'Rear Dead - The New York Times - July 16, 1918 - page 13.
U.S. Minister Dies in Bolivia - The Washington Post - July 16, 1918 - page 2.
Bolivia Proves Envoy of U.S. Really Is Dead - Chicago Daily Tribune - July 24, 1918 - page 4.
A Note on Two Stone Objects from Southern Bolivia by Philip Ainsworth Means - American Anthropologist - Volume 20, Issue 2 (April-June 1918), pages 245-246.
John Davis O'Rear was the son of Benjamin Franklin O'Rear and Margaret Colton Bartlett (the granddaughter of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence). O'Rear grew up in the county and was educated in the schools of Mexico, Missouri. He graduated from high school in 1890 and went on to teach school and study law until his admission to the bar in 1893. He served for a time as City Counsel of Mexico and was later twice elected as Prosecuting Attorney of Audrain County. In addition to his legal practice, he served on the State Democratic Committee. In 1905 he married Eugenie Bragg.
O'Rear became a close friend and strong supporter of another resident of Missouri's 9th Congressional District - James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark. Clark was twenty years older than O'Rear and was first elected to Congress at the time that O'Rear was beginning his legal career. O'Rear's work as city and county attorney closely paralleled Clark's early career, and O'Rear's support of Clark through his involvement with Democratic politics at the district and state level forged a solid relationship between the two men. Clark was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911-1919 and frontrunner for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination (which ultimately went to Woodrow Wilson). After Wilson's election, Speaker Clark made it very clear that O'Rear's appointment as U.S. Minister to one of the South American republics was one of his highest priorities. Although there was some personal animosity between Speaker Clark and Secretary of State Bryan at the time, Bryan ultimately expressed his support and, on June 26, 1913, President Wilson announced the appointment of 43-year-old John Davis O'Rear to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Bolivia. O'Rear and his wife travelled to La Paz where he presented his credentials on August 31, 1913. Subsequently, the press strongly criticized the appointment of O'Rear and a number of others whose experience and skills were extremely meager compared to those of the diplomats they replaced.
The couple's only child, John Davis O'Rear Jr., was born in La Paz on November 17, 1914. In the course of his service in Bolivia, O'Rear was a strong supporter of the expansion of U.S. commercial interests in the country. He was also interested in local artifacts, collecting two mysterious red sandstone carvings that were among sixty such objects that railway engineers discovered in a large mound in the region of Oruro, Bolivia. It is possible that the carvings were artifacts of the Tiwanku civilization which preceded the Inca Empire.
John D. O'Rear died of smallpox on July 14th, 1918. His funeral services were held in La Paz on July 17th. As a mark of respect, the French Legation postponed the reception that it had planned for the 17th.
It was subsequently rumored that O'Rear was not dead, and that the funeral was a ruse to escape an investigation into reports that he was providing assistance to the Germans. The government of Bolivia investigated and, on July 23rd, it was reported that speculation that O'Rear's coffin was unoccupied was false and that O'Rear was, in fact, dead.
Soon thereafter, O'Rear's wife and 3-year-old son returned to the United States.
Memorials
John D. O'Rear is among those who are commemorated on the American Foreign Service Association Memorial Plaques in the lobby of the Harry S Truman Building - the headquarters of the State Department.
In 1928 a bill was introduced in Congress to erect a monument on John D. O'Rear's grave in Bolivia.
References
Test of Wilson Rule - The Washington Post, March 10, 1913 - page 1.
The Diplomats of Democracy by Colonel George Harvey - The New York Times - February 1, 1914 - page SM2.
Civil Service Forgotten in Race for Spoils by Arthur Sears Henning - Chicago Daily Tribune - October 12, 1916 - page 9.
John D. O'Rear Dead - The New York Times - July 16, 1918 - page 13.
U.S. Minister Dies in Bolivia - The Washington Post - July 16, 1918 - page 2.
Bolivia Proves Envoy of U.S. Really Is Dead - Chicago Daily Tribune - July 24, 1918 - page 4.
A Note on Two Stone Objects from Southern Bolivia by Philip Ainsworth Means - American Anthropologist - Volume 20, Issue 2 (April-June 1918), pages 245-246.
O'Rear became a close friend and strong supporter of another resident of Missouri's 9th Congressional District - James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark. Clark was twenty years older than O'Rear and was first elected to Congress at the time that O'Rear was beginning his legal career. O'Rear's work as city and county attorney closely paralleled Clark's early career, and O'Rear's support of Clark through his involvement with Democratic politics at the district and state level forged a solid relationship between the two men. Clark was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1911-1919 and frontrunner for the 1912 Democratic presidential nomination (which ultimately went to Woodrow Wilson). After Wilson's election, Speaker Clark made it very clear that O'Rear's appointment as U.S. Minister to one of the South American republics was one of his highest priorities. Although there was some personal animosity between Speaker Clark and Secretary of State Bryan at the time, Bryan ultimately expressed his support and, on June 26, 1913, President Wilson announced the appointment of 43-year-old John Davis O'Rear to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Bolivia. O'Rear and his wife travelled to La Paz where he presented his credentials on August 31, 1913. Subsequently, the press strongly criticized the appointment of O'Rear and a number of others whose experience and skills were extremely meager compared to those of the diplomats they replaced.
The couple's only child, John Davis O'Rear Jr., was born in La Paz on November 17, 1914. In the course of his service in Bolivia, O'Rear was a strong supporter of the expansion of U.S. commercial interests in the country. He was also interested in local artifacts, collecting two mysterious red sandstone carvings that were among sixty such objects that railway engineers discovered in a large mound in the region of Oruro, Bolivia. It is possible that the carvings were artifacts of the Tiwanku civilization which preceded the Inca Empire.
John D. O'Rear died of smallpox on July 14th, 1918. His funeral services were held in La Paz on July 17th. As a mark of respect, the French Legation postponed the reception that it had planned for the 17th.
It was subsequently rumored that O'Rear was not dead, and that the funeral was a ruse to escape an investigation into reports that he was providing assistance to the Germans. The government of Bolivia investigated and, on July 23rd, it was reported that speculation that O'Rear's coffin was unoccupied was false and that O'Rear was, in fact, dead.
Soon thereafter, O'Rear's wife and 3-year-old son returned to the United States.
Memorials
John D. O'Rear is among those who are commemorated on the American Foreign Service Association Memorial Plaques in the lobby of the Harry S Truman Building - the headquarters of the State Department.
In 1928 a bill was introduced in Congress to erect a monument on John D. O'Rear's grave in Bolivia.
References
Test of Wilson Rule - The Washington Post, March 10, 1913 - page 1.
The Diplomats of Democracy by Colonel George Harvey - The New York Times - February 1, 1914 - page SM2.
Civil Service Forgotten in Race for Spoils by Arthur Sears Henning - Chicago Daily Tribune - October 12, 1916 - page 9.
John D. O'Rear Dead - The New York Times - July 16, 1918 - page 13.
U.S. Minister Dies in Bolivia - The Washington Post - July 16, 1918 - page 2.
Bolivia Proves Envoy of U.S. Really Is Dead - Chicago Daily Tribune - July 24, 1918 - page 4.
A Note on Two Stone Objects from Southern Bolivia by Philip Ainsworth Means - American Anthropologist - Volume 20, Issue 2 (April-June 1918), pages 245-246.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
