Whitmell P. Martin

Whitmell P. Martin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd district
In office
March 4, 1915 – April 6, 1929
Preceded by Robert F. Broussard
Succeeded by Numa F. Montet
Personal details
Born (1867-08-12)August 12, 1867
Napoleonville, Louisiana
Died April 6, 1929(1929-04-06) (aged 61)
Washington, D.C
Political party Progressive (1914-1918)
Democratic
Spouse(s) Amy Williamson (1896-1923, his death)

Whitmell Pugh Martin (August 12, 1867 – April 6, 1929) was a U.S. Representative from Louisiana. Although he later served most of his congressional career as a Democrat, Martin was first elected as a "Bull Moose" Progressive in 1914. He is the only individual ever to represent Louisiana in Congress as a member of that party.

Born near Napoleonville, Assumption Parish, Louisiana, to Robert Campbell Martin and Margerite Chism (Littlejohn) Martin, Whitmell attended the public schools and was privately tutored. He graduated from the Louisiana State University in 1888. He was a professor of chemistry at Kentucky Military Institute in 1889 and 1890. He worked as a chemist for Imperial Sugar at Sugar Land, Texas, in 1890 and 1891.

Martin studied law at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1891 and 1892. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and commenced practice in Napoleonville, Louisiana. He moved to Thibodaux, Louisiana, the same year and continued the practice of law. From 1894 to 1900, he was superintendent of schools for Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. On April 14, 1896 he married Amy Williamson.[1] He served as district attorney for the 20th judicial district of Louisiana from 1900 to 1906 and judge of the same district from 1906 to 1914.

Elected in 1914 as a "Bull Moose" Progressive to the Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Congresses, Martin was the last non-Democrat to represent Louisiana in Congress prior to the election of Republican David C. Treen, also from Louisiana's 3rd congressional district, in 1972. Martin was the only individual to represent Louisiana in Congress during the 20th century without being a member of either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. In 1916 he narrowly won re-election against Sheriff Wade O. Martin, Sr.[2] by 99 votes, less than a percent separating the two lead candidates.

In 1918, he sought re-election as a Democrat to the Sixty-sixth Congress, and continued as a Democrat through the ensuing five congressional elections, all of them uncontested.[3] Martin thus served in Congress from March 4, 1915 until his death in Washington, D.C., on April 6, 1929. He was a delegate, representing his congressional district, to the 1920 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.[4] Martin was an Episcopalian as well as a Freemason.[1]

Martin was interred in St. John's Episcopal Cemetery, Thibodaux, Louisiana.

References

  1. 1 2 Political Graveyard biosketch.
  2. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=482622
  3. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=74213
  4. ↑ List of delegates to the 1920 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Robert F. Broussard		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd congressional district
1915-1929 		Succeeded by
Numa F. Montet
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.