William AJ Sparks

William Andrew Jackson Sparks (born November 19, 1828 in New Albany , Floyd County , Indiana , † May 7, 1904 in St. Louis , Missouri ) was an American politician . Between 1875 and 1883 he represented the state of Illinois in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In 1836 William Sparks moved to Illinois with his parents, where he attended public schools. He then studied at McKendree College in Lebanon until 1850 . At the same time he also worked as a teacher. After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1851, he began to work in this profession in Carlyle . From 1853 to 1856 Sparks headed the Federal Land Registry in Edwardsville . At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . In 1856 and 1857 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Illinois ; from 1863 to 1864 he was a member of the State Senate . In July 1868 he took part as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in New York , at which Horatio Seymour was nominated as a presidential candidate.

In the congressional election of 1874 , Sparks was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the 16th constituency of Illinois , where he succeeded Republican James Stewart Martin on March 4, 1875 . After three re-elections, he was able to complete four legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1883 . From 1877 to 1879 Sparks chaired the Home Office's Expenditure Control Committee; from 1879 to 1881 he headed the military committee. In 1882 he decided not to run again for Congress.

After the end of his time in the US House of Representatives, William Sparks practiced law again. Between 1885 and 1888 he was Federal Commissioner of the United States General Land Office . Then he worked again as a lawyer. He died on May 7, 1904 in St. Louis and was buried in Carlyle.

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personal data
SURNAME	Sparks, William AJ
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Sparks, William Andrew Jackson (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	November 19, 1828
PLACE OF BIRTH	New Albany , Floyd County , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH	May 7, 1904
Place of death	St. Louis , Missouri