William Graves Sharp

William Graves Sharp

William Graves Sharp (born March 14, 1859 in Mount Gilead , Ohio , †  November 17, 1922 in Elyria , Ohio) was an American politician . Between 1909 and 1914 he represented the state of Ohio in the US House of Representatives .

Career

In his youth, William Sharp came to Elyria with his parents, where he attended public schools. After a subsequent law degree at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and his admission as a lawyer in 1881, he began to work in Elyria in this profession. Between 1885 and 1888 he was a prosecutor in the local Lorain County . He was also involved in the manufacture of charcoal, pig iron and chemicals. At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . In 1900 he ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives; In 1904 he took part as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis .

In the congressional election of 1908 Sharp was elected to the United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC in the 14th  constituency of Ohio , where he succeeded Republican J. Ford Laning on March 4, 1909 . After two re-elections, he could remain in Congress until his resignation on July 23, 1914 . In 1913 the 16th and 17th amendments were ratified. It was about the nationwide introduction of income tax and the direct election of US senators .

Sharp's resignation came after his appointment as US ambassador to France . He held this office as the successor to Myron T. Herrick until April 14, 1919. During this time, the First World War fell . Upon his return to Elyria, William Sharp dealt with literary affairs. He died there on November 17, 1922.

Web links

• William Graves Sharp in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• William Graves Sharp in the database of Find a Grave (English)