Finis E. Downing

Finis Ewing Downing ( born August 24, 1846 in Virginia, Illinois, † March 8, 1936 ) was an American politician.

Between 1864 and 1880 Downing was doing business in the cities of Virginia and Butler, Missouri. During this period he held from 1878 to 1880 the office of mayor of Virginia. From 1880 to 1892 Downing worked as a clerk at the Court of Appeals of Cass County. He studied law, was admitted to the legal profession in 1887 and started practicing after in his hometown. From 1891 to 1897 he was active in the newspaper industry.

Downing was elected as a Democrat to the 54th Congress and represented there from March 4, 1895 until June 5, 1896 his home state. The shortened term came about because Republican John I. Rinaker Downings had successfully contested election to the Congress and now took his seat.

In the following midterm elections Downing was not nominated by his party and his application for the post of Secretary of State of Illinois in the same year was unsuccessful. He now began to practice in his former profession again in Virginia. Downing died in 1936 in Virginia and was buried in Walnut Ridge Cemetery.