John W. Thompson (Iowa politician)

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John W. Thompson (October 14, 1823 – August 11, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician in Iowa. He was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, where he taught at age 19 and then studied law with Thomas P. Campbell. He started his own legal practice in Williamsburg and Hollidaysburg. In the 1844 election, he voted for Whig Henry Clay.

Thompson moved west to Davenport, Iowa, by 1855 and formed a law firm with Horatio B. Barner. He practiced on his own from 1861 to 1866, then with J. D. Campbell until 1870. A Republican, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1860 and 1880. He served in the Iowa General Assembly from 1858 to 1862, first in the House (District 28) until 1860, then in the Senate (District 19).

In 1878, Thompson was elected mayor of Davenport, serving one year, and in 1881 he was named city attorney under Mayor John E. Henry. He returned as mayor in April 1883 but died in office on August 11, 1883. He married Margaret A. Wallace of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, on May 12, 1874; she died on March 12, 1875.