John E. Osborne at the start of his service as Assistant Secretary of State.

1916 Former Governor John Osborne concludes his service as Assistant Secretary of State for the Wilson Administration.





It had been rumored for weeks that the former Democratic Governor would step down, with motivations being various cited as an intent to run for the U.S. Senate and a desire to return his Western holdings. All of that may have been partial motivators. He did retain agricultural and business holdings in Wyoming and a 1918 run for the Senate showed he had not lost interest in politics. However, he also found himself in increasing disagreement with his employer on Wilson's policies in regards to the war in Europe. So, at this point, prior to Wilson's second term commencing, he stepped down and returned to Wyoming with his wife Selina, who was twenty years his junior.





Osborne would live the rest of his life out in the Rawlins area, ranching and as a banker. While twenty years older than his wife, he would out live her by a year, dying in 1943 at age 84. She died the prior year at age 59. Their only daughter would pass away in 1951. In spite of a largely Wyoming life, he was buried with his wife in their family plot in Kentucky.