John Morton Eshleman, (b. June 14, 1876, Villa Ridge, Illinois , d. February 28, 1916, El Centro, California), became known as twenty-sixth Lieutenant Governor of California (1915-1916).
Education, Appointments
- B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1902.
- M.A., UC Berkeley 1903.
- Admitted to the bar in 1905.
- Appointed Deputy State Labor Commissioner by Governor George Pardee.
- Elected to the 38th California Assembly from the 52d District (Berkley) in 1907.
- Appointed Deputy District Attorney of Alameda County, but did not serve.
- Because of health moved to the Imperial Valley and became the first District Attorney of Imperial County, serving 1907-1910, chosen upon the creation of that county from the eastern part of San Diego County in August 1907.
- Elected Railroad Commissioner from the Third District, 1910.
- Elected President of the Railroad Commission , 1911.
- Eshleman was elected Lieutenant Governor as a Progressive in 1914. He was inaugurated January 15, 1915 and served under Governor Hiram Warren Johnson until his (Eshleman's) death in 1916. (Johnson appointed William Stephens to replace him).
- Served as an ex officio regent of the University of California by virtue of his office as lieutenant governor.
Honours
The student union at UC Berkeley was named Eshleman Hall in his honor (later renamed Moses Hall ) as he was student body president during his undergraduate days. A new building of that name was subsequently erected which houses various student groups, including the campus newspaper, The Daily Californian.
Eshleman's son, also named John Morton, wrote at least two detective novels set in the Bay area.
