James Sutherland Spore

{{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = Commander |name = James Sutherland Spore |image = James_S._Spore.jpg |caption = Spore, US Navy Commander and Acting Governor |order = Acting |office = Naval Governor of Guam |term_start = February 27, 1921 |term_end = February 7, 1922 |predecessor = [[Ivan Wettengel]] |successor = [[Adelbert Althouse]] |office2 = Acting [[Governor of American Samoa]] |term_start2 = March 24, 1931 |term_end2 = April 22, 1931 |birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|5|13}} |birth_place = |death_date = {{Death date and age|1937|4|28|1885|5|13}} |death_place = [[La Mesa, California]], US |father = Melvin Spore |mother = Helen Spore |known_for = Acting Governor of [[Guam]] and [[American Samoa]] |alma_mater = [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]] |spouse = Grace Walling Spore |children = 3 |relatives = [[Marian Spore Bush]] (sister), Belle Spore Tunison (sister) |module ={{Infobox military person |embed=yes |allegiance = [[United States|United States of America]] |branch = [[United States Navy]] |service_years = |rank = Commander |commands = |unit = |battles = }} }} '''James Sutherland Spore''' (May 13, 1885 – April 28, 1937) was a [[commander]] in the [[United States Navy]]. He served as acting governor of [[Guam]] from February 27, 1921 to February 7, 1922 and as acting governor of [[American Samoa]] from March 24, 1931 to April 22, 1931.

James S. Spore grew up in [[Bay City, Michigan]], and graduated from the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]] with the nickname of "Wooden Willie." His sister was [[Marian Spore Bush]]<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Prophetess |date=June 7, 1943 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,885000,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214185950/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,885000,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2008 |access-date=2009-01-09 }} v. XLI n.23, p. 71-2</ref> and he had three children.

== Career == Spore served as acting Naval governor of [[Guam]] from February 27, 1921 to February 7, 1922.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guampedia.com/naval-era-governors-of-guam/ |title=Guam Naval Governors 30 August 1899 – 10 December 1941 |website=guampedia.com |date=12 January 2010 |accessdate=November 17, 2021}}</ref>

Spore served as acting governor of [[American Samoa]] from March 24, 1931 to April 22, 1931.

As of 1933, he was stationed in [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California|San Pedro, California]].<ref>"Melvin S. Spore" (August 5, 1933). ''[[The New York Times]]'', p. 11</ref> After retiring from the Navy, he moved to [[La Mesa, California]] (in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]]) to farm [[avocado]]s.

== Personal life == On April 29, 1916, Spore married Grace Walling at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in [[South Orange, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VFI-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA405 |title=Personal Matters |publisher=Army and Navy Register |page=405 |date=March 25, 1916 |accessdate=November 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VFI-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA597 |title=Personal Matters |publisher=Army and Navy Register |page=597 |date=May 6, 1916 |accessdate=November 17, 2021}}</ref>

In 1937, Spore died in La Mesa, California. He was buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgVzcG9yZRIFamFtZXM-/ | website = ANC Explorer | title = Burial detail: Spore, James S, Sr | accessdate = November 17, 2025 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=108840 James Sutherland Spore at ourcampaigns.com] * [https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/11264 Burns W. Spore oral history interview, April 28, 2001 at ecu.edu]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spore, James Sutherland}} [[Category:1885 births]] [[Category:1937 deaths]] [[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]] [[Category:United States Navy officers]] [[Category:Governors of Guam]] [[Category:Governors of American Samoa]] [[Category:Military personnel from Bay City, Michigan]]