Dr. John Wesley Hoyt (1831– May 29, 1912) was an American politician and educator.
Born in Worthington, Ohio, in 1831, he graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University and attained a medical degree from Eclectic Medical Institute in Ohio. He moved to Wisconsin in 1857 and became active in politics. While in Wisconsin, he served as manager of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society and was editor for the Wisconsin Farmer and Northern Cultivator. He served as United States and Wisconsin commissioner to the 1862 International Exhibition in London and again at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris. From 1874 to 1876, he was chairman of the Wisconsin State Railway Association[1].
On April 10, 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Hoyt as governor of the Territory of Wyoming, replacing John Thayer. He served in that capacity until 1882.
Hoyt was a strong supporter of education. Under the direction of Secretary of State William H. Seward he prepared a large study on education in America and Europe. In 1887, following a brief time living in California, Hoyt returned to Wyoming to become the first president of the University of Wyoming[2]. He later lobbied strongly for the creation of a national university. He died in Washington, D.C. on May 29, 1912.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Thayer |
Governor of Wyoming Territory 1878– 1882 |
Succeeded by William Hale |
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