Representative David Jenkins Ward

David Jenkins Ward (September 17, 1871 – February 18, 1961) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who represented Maryland’s 1st Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1945. His congressional tenure spanned three terms and coincided with the final years of the Great Depression and the bulk of World War II, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Eastern Shore constituents.

Ward was born in Salisbury, Wicomico County, Maryland, where he attended the local public schools. Growing up in a largely rural region of the state, he became closely acquainted with the agricultural and commercial life of the Eastern Shore. This early environment shaped his later political focus on local economic concerns and the needs of small communities in Maryland.

Before entering public office, Ward pursued a varied career in private enterprise. He worked as a farmer and lumberjack, occupations that reflected the agrarian and timber-based economy of the region. He later became a merchant and engaged in the real estate business, gaining experience in trade, land use, and property development. These pursuits established him as a local businessman and provided him with practical insight into the economic conditions and challenges facing his future constituents.

Ward’s formal political career began at the state level. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1915 to 1917, representing his home area in the state legislature. Following this initial legislative service, he remained active in party affairs and was chair of the Democratic state central committee of Wicomico County from 1918 to 1926, a role in which he helped organize and guide Democratic political activity in the county. He advanced to the Maryland Senate, serving as a state senator from 1926 to 1934 and again from 1938 to 1939. In these years he participated in shaping state legislation during a period marked by economic upheaval and the onset of the New Deal.

Ward entered national office through a special election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected as a Democrat to fill the vacancy in the Seventy-sixth Congress caused by the resignation of Representative T. Alan Goldsborough, and he took his seat on June 8, 1939. He was subsequently reelected and served continuously until January 3, 1945, encompassing service in the Seventy-sixth, Seventy-seventh, and Seventy-eighth Congresses. As a member of the House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, Ward contributed to the legislative process as the nation moved from recovery efforts after the Great Depression into full wartime mobilization during World War II. He represented Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, an area that included much of the Eastern Shore, and worked to advance the interests of his constituents within the broader national agenda.

In 1944, Ward sought renomination to the House but was unsuccessful in his bid to continue his congressional career. After leaving Congress at the conclusion of his term on January 3, 1945, he returned to private life in Salisbury. He remained a figure identified with long service to Maryland at both the state and federal levels, reflecting decades of involvement in Democratic politics and public affairs.

David Jenkins Ward died in Salisbury, Maryland, on February 18, 1961. He was interred in Parsons Cemetery in Salisbury, closing a life that spanned nearly ninety years and included service as a farmer, businessman, state legislator, party leader, and United States Representative from Maryland.