Representative John Jacob Lentz

John Jacob Lentz (January 27, 1856 – July 27, 1931) was an American lawyer, businessman, and Democratic politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio for two terms from 1897 to 1901. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history at the turn of the twentieth century, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents in the House of Representatives.

Lentz was born near St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio, on January 27, 1856. He attended the common schools of the area and St. Clairsville High School, receiving a basic education typical of rural Ohio in the post–Civil War era. Before pursuing higher education, he worked as a schoolteacher for four years, an experience that helped finance his studies and introduced him to public service and civic life at an early age.

Pursuing advanced education, Lentz graduated from National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1877, an institution known for training teachers and professionals. He then attended the University of Wooster during 1877 and 1878. Seeking broader academic and professional preparation, he enrolled at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he graduated in 1882. He continued his studies in law at Columbia Law School in New York City, earning his law degree in 1883. In October 1883 he was admitted to the bar in Columbus, Ohio, and commenced the practice of law there.

Lentz quickly established himself in the legal profession in Columbus. In 1887 he entered into a law partnership with George K. Nash, a prominent Ohio lawyer and future governor of Ohio. This partnership continued until Nash’s death in 1904. In addition to his legal work, Lentz demonstrated a strong interest in business and fraternal insurance. In 1894 he founded the American Insurance Union, a fraternal benefit society, and served as its president continuously from its establishment until his death. Under his leadership, the organization grew into a significant insurance and fraternal institution; its headquarters building in Columbus became known as the American Insurance Union Citadel. Lentz also contributed to higher education in the state as a trustee of Ohio University at Athens.

A member of the Democratic Party, Lentz was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat to the Fifty-fifth and Fifty-sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1901. Representing Ohio in the U.S. Congress for two terms, he participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the House during a period marked by debates over economic policy, imperial expansion, and social reform. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1900 to the Fifty-seventh Congress. Contemporaries sometimes remarked that John Lentz was too honest to succeed in politics, a characterization that reflected perceptions of his personal integrity in an era of often rough-and-tumble partisan competition.

After leaving Congress, Lentz remained active in public and political affairs. He served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1908, taking part in the national deliberations of his party. He continued his legal practice in Columbus until 1915, when he retired from active law practice to devote himself more fully to the insurance business and to the American Insurance Union. Beyond his business and political roles, he was involved in fraternal and civic organizations, including service as a member of the Board of Governors of the Loyal Order of Moose. In later years he also took part in campaigns in many states in support of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, aligning himself with the national movements for Prohibition and women’s suffrage.

Lentz spent his final years in Columbus, where he continued to be identified with the American Insurance Union and with Democratic and reform causes. He died in Columbus, Ohio, on July 27, 1931. He was interred in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, closing a career that spanned education, law, business, fraternal leadership, and two terms of service in the United States Congress.