William B. Francis

William B. Francis (1914)

William Bates Francis (born October 25, 1860 in Updegraff , Jefferson County , Ohio , †  December 5, 1954 in Wheeling , West Virginia ) was an American politician . Between 1911 and 1915 he represented the state of Ohio in the US House of Representatives .

Career

William Francis attended public schools in his homeland. After a subsequent law degree and his admission as a lawyer in 1889, he began to work in Martins Ferry in this profession. In 1897, 1898 and 1900 he was the legal representative of this city. From 1903 to 1908 he was a member of the local school inspection ( Board of School Examiners ); from 1908 to 1914 he was a member of the Martins Ferry Education Committee. At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . In July 1904 he took part as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis , where Alton B. Parker was nominated as a presidential candidate.

In the 1910 congressional election , Francis was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC , in the 16th  constituency of Ohio , where he succeeded Republican David Hollingsworth on March 4, 1911 . After being re-elected, he was able to complete two legislative terms in Congress until March 3, 1915 . During this time the 16th and 17th amendments were ratified. It was about the nationwide introduction of income tax and the direct election of US senators .

In 1914, Francis was not re-elected. After his time in the US House of Representatives, he practiced as a lawyer again. Between 1931 and 1935 he headed the Ohio State Civil Service . He was also the supervisor of properties for aid to aged . He lived in Martins Ferry and later in St. Clairsville . William Francis died on December 5, 1954 in Wheeling Virginia and was buried in Mount Pleasant .

Web links

• William B. Francis in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• William B. Francis in the database of Find a Grave (English)