Andrew Houston Longino

Andrew Houston Longino (1854-1942) is one of sixteen Amer? ican governors whose ancestry goes back to Italy. (Please see Appen? dix for a list of Italian American governors.) Longino served as governor of Mississippi from 1900 to 1904, during an era when massive numbers of southern Europeans settled in northern urban industrial centers of the United States. The career of Longino is interesting because of his sixty-two years of public service and his acceptance in a regional culture not noted for ethnic pluralism. In fact, the other fifteen Italian American governors came from northern or western states. This essay examines Longino's life and political career, and considers the implication of his ethnicity.1 John Thomas Longino (Giovanni Tomaso Longino) was the first Longino to come to America. Born in 1737 in northern Italy, possibly Padua, Venice, or Citt? di Castella, he arrived in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1752 and moved to Surry County, North Carolina. There are two versions of why he decided to leave Italy. One alleges that his father, a nobleman, was stripped of his wealth and position by the Inquisition. Young John Thomas fled to England where he remained a few weeks and then relocated to America. The second version