George W. Atkinson

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George W. Atkinson

George Wesley Atkinson (born June 29, 1845 in Charleston , West Virginia , † July 4, 1925 there ) was an American lawyer and politician . From 1897 to 1901 he was governor of the state of West Virginia.

Early years and political advancement

George Atkinson attended Ohio Wesleyan University and Howard University in Washington after elementary school , where he studied law. He completed his education at three other renowned universities in Ohio and Tennessee . After serving as head of the local post office between 1870 and 1876, he moved to Wheeling . There he worked as a lawyer and as the editor of the Wheeling Evening Standard newspaper . Between 1879 and 1881 he was an employee of the US Tax Department and then until 1885 he served as the US Marshal for the area of ​​West Virginia. Between 1890 and 1891 Atkinson was a member of the Republican Party Congressman in Washington. He refused re-election to Congress in 1890 and returned to his law firm in Wheeling. By 1896 he published the West Virginia Journal . In 1896 he was nominated by his party as a candidate for the gubernatorial election.

West Virginia Governor

After his election victory, Atkinson became the first Republican governor of West Virginia since 1871. Nonetheless, his policies were little different from those of his Democratic predecessors. He promoted industrial growth and worked to further improve the infrastructure. It was then that the first free public libraries were set up. But caring for children and improving working conditions in the country were also on his list of priorities. Otherwise, his term of office was unspectacular and without any unusual incidents.

Further life

At the end of his four-year term on March 4, 1901, Atkinson was a charity. So he became president of the "Children's Home Society of West Virginia". Between 1901 and 1905 he was a federal attorney for the southern part of his state. Between 1905 and 1916 he was a judge on the Court of Claims , a federal court in Washington. He has also authored several books on his home state of West Virginia. After 1916 he retired from public life. He died in Charleston in 1925. George Atkinson was married twice and had four children in total.

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personal data
SURNAME Atkinson, George W.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Atkinson, George Wesley (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 29, 1845
PLACE OF BIRTH Charleston , West Virginia
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 1925
Place of death Charleston , West Virginia