Earle D. Willey

Earle Dukes Willey (born July 21, 1889 in Greenwood , Delaware , †  March 17, 1950 in Dover , Delaware) was an American politician . Between 1943 and 1945 he represented the state of Delaware in the US House of Representatives .

Early years

After primary school Earle Willey went to 1911 the Dickinson College in Carlisle ( Pennsylvania ). He studied law at George Washington University in Washington, DC and was admitted to the bar in 1920. In between he was a teacher at Greenwood High School from 1911 to 1915 . From 1915 to 1917 he was secretary to Congressman Thomas W. Miller and from 1917 to 1921 he was a State Librarian .

After his admission to the bar, Willey began working in Dover in his new profession. He soon went into public service and became Assistant Attorney General and District Attorney in Kent County . He held this office from 1921 to 1931. Between 1931 and 1939 Willey worked as a judge on the Kent County Court of Appeal. At the same time he was also judge in the youth courts in Kent and Sussex counties since 1933 .

Political career

Politically, Willey was a member of the Republican Party . In 1940 he ran unsuccessfully for the office of lieutenant governor of Delaware. From 1941 to 1943 he was Secretary of State, executive officer of his home state. He was also a curator of the University of Delaware and several other educational institutions.

In 1942, Willey was elected to the US House of Representatives against the Democratic incumbent Philip A. Traynor . There he was only able to complete one legislative period between January 3, 1943 and January 3, 1945 because he was defeated by his predecessor Traynor with 50% to 49% of the votes in the 1944 elections. After leaving Congress , Willey returned to work as a lawyer. He died in Dover on March 17, 1950 and was buried in a cemetery near his native Greenwood.

Web links

• Earle D. Willey in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Earle D. Willey in the database of Find a Grave (English)