Life and career
Spry was born at Windsor, Berkshire, England. He emigrated to Utah Territory with his parents at the age of eleven.[1]
In 1885, Spry was called as an LDS Church missionary and went to serve in the Southern States Mission. From 1888 to 1891, Spry served as president of the Southern States Mission.[2] In 1890, during his mission, Spry received permission from the leaders of the church to return briefly to Salt Lake City where he married Mary Alice Wrathall.[3]
In 1894, Spry was elected county collector in Tooele County, Utah. In 1902 Spry was elected to the Utah House of Representatives[4] and in 1905 he was appointed one of the members of the Utah state board of land commissioners.[3] From 1906 to 1908, Spry served as United States Marshal for the District of Utah.
He served as governor of Utah from 1909 to 1917. He was a Republican. Spry was a strong opponent of Prohibition, and vetoed two bills that would have implemented this.[5] In 1915, Spry refused President Woodrow Wilson's request to reconsider the impending execution of Joe Hill and allowed the execution to take place on November 19.[6]
From 1921 to 1929 Spry served as commissioner of Public Lands.[7]
Spry died in Washington, D.C., in 1929 when he was still serving as the Federal Commissioner of Public Lands. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.[1]
