John G. Otis

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John Grant Otis (born February 10, 1838 in Danby , Rutland County , Vermont , † February 22, 1916 in Topeka , Kansas ) was an American politician . Between 1891 and 1893 he represented the fourth constituency of the state of Kansas in the US House of Representatives .

Career

John Otis attended Burr Seminary in Manchester (Vermont) and the Williams College in Williamstown ( Massachusetts ). After studying law at Harvard University Law School , he was admitted to the bar in 1859. In the same year Otis moved to Topeka, Kansas, where he worked as a lawyer. In 1862 he was involved in the formation of the first regiment with African American soldiers in Kansas during the Civil War . Between 1863 and 1865 he was the rank of colonel paymaster of the military personnel reporting to the governor of Kansas.

After the war, Otis worked in agriculture. He ran a dairy farm near Topeka. Between 1873 and 1875 he was State Commissioner for Farming ( Grange ) and from 1889 to 1891 he gave lectures on agriculture. In keeping with his agricultural interests, he joined the short-lived Populist Party . In the state-wide held congressional elections of 1890 he was elected as their candidate for the fourth seat of the state in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC . There he took over on March 4, 1891, succeeding Republican Harrison Kelley . But since he was not nominated again by his party for the elections of 1892, Otis could only complete one legislative period in Congress until March 3, 1893 .

After his time in the federal capital Washington, John Otis returned to his previous activities. He died on February 22, 1916 in Topeka and was buried there.

Web links

  • John G. Otis in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)