Samuel Hollister Jackson (December 7, 1875 – November 2, 1927) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 56th lieutenant governor of Vermont in 1927. Admitted to the bar in 1900, he practiced law in Barre City and held roles as State’s Attorney for Washington County, a Vermont state legislator, a member of the state’s Railroad Commission, and led the Vermont Bar Association. Jackson’s life ended tragically in the Great Vermont Flood of 1927 when he was swept away by floodwaters near his home.
Early life Samuel Hollister Jackson was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 7, 1875, the son of Samuel Nelson Jackson and Mary Anne (Parkyn) Jackson. Jackson's siblings included H. Nelson Jackson, the first person to drive an automobile across the United States and a prominent Burlington, Vermont businessman, and J. Holmes Jackson (1871–1944), who served as mayor of Burlington from 1917 to 1925 and 1929 to 1933. After completing his early education in the public schools and the Collegiate Institute in Kingston, Ontario, he enrolled in Kingston's Queen's University as an arts student in 1893, attending for one year. He continued his studies earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto in 1896. Following his family's relocation to Vermont, Jackson pursued further education at the University of Vermont, in Burlington, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1898. Jackson moved to Barre City, Vermont, where he supported himself by giving piano, organ, and music composition lessons while studying law. Jackson studied law under John W. Gordon of Barre and was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 1900. He started his legal practice in Barre City.
Career In 1901 he was elected Barre's Grand Juror (municipal court prosecutor) and he served as Washington County State's Attorney from 1904 to 1906, succeeding John H. Senter. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1906 to 1907, and as a member of the state Railroad Commission (later called the Public Service Commission) from 1906 until 1913. He was also a major and judge advocate in the 97th Division of the Organized Reserve Corps. Jackson co-owned the E.L. Smith & Company granite manufacturing business with his brother H. Nelson Jackson and eventually became the President of the National Granite Producers Association. He was the President of the Vermont Bar Association and was a member of the Knights Templar Masons, the Shriners and the Knights of Pythias.
Vermont Supreme Court Case on Citizenship The 1905 citizenship court case against S. Hollister Jackson arose as an attempt to disqualify him from serving as State's Attorney for Washington County, Vermont. Brought by Charles A. Phelps, whom Jackson was prosecuting for crimes, the case alleged that Jackson, born in Canada, was not a U.S. citizen and thus unqualified to hold office. This legal maneuver was intended to derail Jackson's prosecution efforts by challenging his eligibility based on citizenship. The petition claimed that Jackson's father, Rev. Samuel N. Jackson, and grandfather, Horatio Nelson Jackson, had forfeited their U.S. citizenship through extended residence and duties in Canada. They argued that Jackson was born to alien parentage and had never been naturalized. In his defense, Jackson presented evidence showing that his father had always considered himself an American, returned to the U.S. before Hollister turned 21, and took the Freeman's Oath. Witnesses testified that Jackson met all legal requirements for citizenship and public office in Vermont. The Vermont Supreme Court heard the case in early 1906, with both sides presenting extensive arguments on naturalization laws and citizenship by descent. Ultimately, the court ruled in Jackson's favor, allowing him to retain his office.
Election as lieutenant governor
In 1926, after a hard-fought, but victorious campaign S. Hollister Jackson became the 56th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and according to all political indications, he was well on the road to the governorship. He took office in January 1927 and served until his untimely death later that year. A strong advocate for women's equality, he was quoted as saying, "The more equality our women win, the better we men and this world of ours will be." His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen Vermont’s future through a policy initiative called "The Citizens and Leaders of Tomorrow" which aimed to retain the state’s youth and curb outward migration. Jackson was also known for his sharp wit and keen sense of humor, which he famously displayed when introducing Crown Prince William of Sweden to the Vermont legislature, quipping, "This is the most interesting Bill that will be introduced at the present session." On July 26, 1927, Charles Lindbergh visited Springfield, Vermont, during his nationwide victory tour following his historic transatlantic flight. Landing at Hartness State Airport in his iconic plane, The Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh was greeted by an enormous crowd. Lt. Gov. S. Hollister Jackson formally welcomed the aviator and gave the address to the tens of thousands that had gathered.
Death
During the Great Vermont Flood on November 2, 1927, Jackson's car stalled after he hit a deep hole while attempting to drive through the rising Potash Brook near his home at Nelson and Tremont Streets in Barre. According to a witness, Jackson's hat and glasses were knocked off, and he appeared dazed. He began walking towards his house, and water rushing fast enough to cut a channel across Nelson Street (then a dirt road) carried him away.
Those nearby attempted unsuccessfully to save him, as did a Vermont National Guard detachment. He drowned, and the next day his body was recovered from the Potash approximately a mile from where he was last seen.
Family In 1909, Jackson married his cousin, Mabel Maude Parkyn (1874–1968), the daughter of Col. James Parkyn (1841-1909) and Margaret Beale Atkinson (1841-1919). Her brother, Dr. Herbert A. Parkyn, was a prominent figure in the New Thought movement and founder of The Chicago School of Psychology. Herbert Parkyn died in December 1927, one month after Jackson’s death, leaving Mabel widowed and having lost her brother within the same year. They were the parents of two sons, Nelson Parkyn Jackson (1910–1960) a decorated U.S. Air Force colonel, and Samuel Hollister Jackson II (1916–1995) a decorated U.S. Air Force Lt. colonel.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
