What is John Mercer Langston?
{{Infobox officeholder | name = Jhon Mercer Langston | image = John Mercer Langston - Brady-Handy.jpg | state = [[Virginia]] | district = {{ushr|VA|4|4th}} | term_start = September 23, 1890 | term_end = March 3, 1891 | predecessor = [[Edward Carrington Venable]] | successor = [[James F. Epes]] | office1 = [[United States Ambassador to Dominican Republic|United States Minister Resident to the Dominican Republic]]<br>Acting | president1 = [[Chester A. Arthur]]<br>[[Grover Cleveland]] | term_start1 = March 26, 1884 | term_end1 = June 23, 1885 | predecessor1 = Position established | successor1 = [[John E. W. Thompson|John Thompson]] | office2 = [[United States Ambassador to Haiti|United States Minister Resident to Haiti]] | president2 = [[Rutherford B. Hayes]]<br>[[James A. Garfield]]<br>[[Chester A. Arthur]]<br>[[Grover Cleveland]] | term_start2 = November 27, 1877 | term_end2 = June 30, 1885 | predecessor2 = [[Ebenezer Bassett]] | successor2 = [[George Washington Williams]] | birth_name = John Mercer Langston | birth_date = {{birth date|1829|12|14}} | birth_place = [[Louisa, Virginia]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1897|11|15|1829|12|14}} | death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S. | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | spouse = Caroline Wall | children = 5 | education = [[Oberlin College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Masters of Arts|MA]]) | signature = Signature of John Mercer Langston.png }} '''John Mercer Langston''' (December 14, 1829 &ndash; November 15, 1897) was a dean at [[Howard University]]. He helped create the department of [[law]] at the university. Langston was born a [[free negro|free black]] in [[Virginia]]. His mother used to be a [[slave]]. His father was [[English pe