United States Representatives from Alabama 5

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	OATES, William Calvin (1835-1910)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born at Oates Cross Roads, near Troy, Pike County, Ala., November 30, 1835; pursued elementary studies at home and attended an academy at Lawrenceville, Ala.; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1858 and practiced in Abbeville, Ala., from 1859 to 1861; during the Civil War entered the Confederate Army as captain of Company G, Fifteenth Regiment, Alabama Infantry, in July 1861; appointed colonel in the Provisional Army of the Confederacy May 1, 1863; resumed the practice of law in Abbeville in 1865; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1868; member of the State house of representatives 1870-1872; unsuccessful candidate for the nomination for Governor in 1872; member of the State constitutional convention in 1875; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-seventh and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1881, until November 5, 1894, when he resigned, having been elected Governor; chairman, Committee on Revision of the Laws (Forty-eighth through Fiftieth Congresses), Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department (Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses); unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1897; Governor of Alabama 1894-1896; brigadier general of Volunteers in the Spanish-American War and stationed at Camp Meade, Pa.; resumed the practice of law; died in Montgomery, Ala., September 9, 1910; interment in Oakwood Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 53 1893-1894 Representative Democrat 52 1891-1892 Representative Democrat 51 1889-1890 Representative Democrat 50 1887-1888 Representative Democrat 49 1885-1886 Representative Democrat 48 1883-1884 Representative Democrat 47 1881-1882

Image currently unavailable	OLIVER, William Bacon (1867-1948)
	Bio: (cousin of Sydney Parham Epes), a Representative from Alabama; born in Eutaw, Greene County, Ala., May 23, 1867; attended the common schools of his native city; was graduated from the Verner College Preparatory School at Tuscaloosa in 1883, the academic department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1887, and from its law department in 1889; took a special course at the law school of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1889; was admitted to the bar in 1889 and commenced practice in Tuscaloosa, Ala.; appointed solicitor for the sixth judicial circuit of Alabama in 1898 and served until his resignation in 1909; dean of the law school of the University of Alabama from 1909 until 1913, when he resigned; chairman of the Democratic central committee of Tuscaloosa County for a number of years; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924; elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fourth and to the ten succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915-January 3, 1937); was not a candidate for renomination in 1936; served as special assistant to the Attorney General at Washington, D.C., from July 22, 1939, to May 1, 1944, when he retired; died while on a visit in New Orleans, La., May 27, 1948; interment in Eutaw Cemetery, Eutaw, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 74 1935-1936 Representative Democrat 73 1933-1934 Representative Democrat 72 1931-1932 Representative Democrat 71 1929-1930 Representative Democrat 70 1927-1928 Representative Democrat 69 1925-1926 Representative Democrat 68 1923-1924 Representative Democrat 67 1921-1922 Representative Democrat 66 1919-1920 Representative Democrat 65 1917-1918 Representative Democrat 64 1915-1916

Image currently unavailable	OWEN, George Washington (1796-1837)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Brunswick County, Va., on October 20, 1796; moved with his parents to Tennessee; attended the common schools and was graduated from the University of Nashville Tennessee; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1816 and commenced practice in Claiborne, Ala.; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1821 to the Seventeenth Congress; member of the State house of representatives 1819-1821 and served as speaker in 1821; elected as a Jackson Republican candidate to the Eighteenth Congress, and reelected as a Jacksonian to the Nineteenth, and Twentieth Congresses (March 4, 1823-March 3, 1829); appointed collector of the port of Mobile by President Jackson and served from April 20, 1828, to July 20, 1836; elected mayor of Mobile in 1836 and held the position until his death, which occurred on his plantation near Mobile, Ala., August 18, 1837; interment in the Old Church Street Cemetery, Mobile, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Jacksonian 20 1827-1828 Representative Jacksonian 19 1825-1826 Representative Jackson Republican 18 1823-1824

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Image currently unavailable	PATRICK, Luther (1894-1957)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born near Decatur, Morgan County, Ala., January 23, 1894; attended the public schools, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, and Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.; in 1918 was graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; during the First World War served as a private, assigned to the Army training detachment and to the Central Officers’ Training School, from June 14, 1918, to December 4, 1918; was admitted to the bar in 1919 and commenced practice in Fairfield, Ala.; city attorney of Fairfield 1920-1922; author of many poems and books; began career of radio commentator in 1925; assistant attorney general of Alabama 1927-1929; assistant United States district attorney of the northern Alabama district in 1933 and 1934; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fifth, Seventy-sixth, and Seventy-seventh Congresses (January 3, 1937-January 3, 1943); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1942; served as a consultant to the War Production Board in 1943 and 1944; elected to the Seventy-ninth Congress (January 3, 1945-January 3, 1947); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1946; resumed law practice in Birmingham, Ala.; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1956; died in Birmingham, Ala., May 26, 1957; interment in Elmwood Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 79 1945-1946 Representative Democrat 77 1941-1942 Representative Democrat 76 1939-1940 Representative Democrat 75 1937-1938

Image currently unavailable	PATTERSON, LaFayette Lee (1888-1987)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born near Delta, Clay County, Ala., August 23, 1888; attended the rural schools; engaged in agricultural pursuits and taught in the rural schools; was graduated from Jacksonville (Ala.) State Teachers’ College in 1922, from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Ala., in 1924, and from Stanford University in 1927; superintendent of education of Tallapoosa County, Ala., 1924-1926; elected as a Democrat to the Seventieth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William B. Bowling; reelected to the two succeeding Congresses and served from November 6, 1928, to March 3, 1933; unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1932; moved to Gadsden, Etowah County, Ala., in 1931; field representative for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration 1933-1943; special assistant to the War Food Administration in 1943-1945; special adviser to the Secretary of Agriculture 1945-1947; liaison officer for the Democratic National Committee in 1948; assistant professor of history at Jacksonville (Ala.) State College 1948-1951; delegate at large to the Democratic National Convention in 1952; moved to Raleigh, N.C., in 1952 and engaged in the travel business; moved to Alabama and resumed profession as teacher in 1965; was a resident of Montgomery, Ala.; died in Birmingham, Ala., on March 3, 1987; interment in Bethlehem Cemetery, New Site, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 72 1931-1932 Representative Democrat 71 1929-1930 Representative Democrat 70 1927-1928

Image currently unavailable	PAYNE, William Winter (1807-1874)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born at “Granville,” near Warrenton, Fauquier County, Va., January 2, 1807; completed preparatory studies; studied law but never practiced; moved to Franklin County, Ala., in 1825 and engaged in planting; member of the State house of representatives in 1831; moved to Sumter County, Ala.; again a member of the State house of representatives 1834-1838 and in 1840; unsuccessful candidate for the State senate in 1839; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, and Twenty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1841-March 3, 1847); chairman, Committee on Elections (Twenty-eighth Congress); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1846 to the Thirtieth Congress; returned to Virginia in 1847 and engaged in planting near Warrenton; chairman of the Democratic State convention in 1859; died in Warrenton, Va., September 2, 1874; interment in the City Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 29 1845-1846 Representative Democrat 28 1843-1844 Representative Democrat 27 1841-1842

Image currently unavailable	PELHAM, Charles (1835-1908)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Person County, N.C., March 12, 1835; moved with his parents to Alabama in 1838; attended the common schools; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Talladega, Ala., in 1858; entered the Confederate Army in 1862 and served as first lieutenant of Company C, Fifty-first Regiment, Alabama Infantry; judge of the tenth judicial circuit of Alabama 1868-1873; elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1875); was not a candidate for renomination in 1874; resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C.; late in life was appointed a clerk in the Treasury Department; moved to Poulan, Worth County, Ga., in 1907; died in Poulan, Ga., January 18, 1908; interment in the Presbyterian Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 43 1873-1874

Image currently unavailable	PHILLIPS, Philip (1807-1884)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Charleston, S.C., December 13, 1807; pursued classical studies; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Charleston, S.C., December 14, 1828; member of the State constitutional convention in 1832; member of the State house of representatives in 1833 and 1834; moved to Mobile, Ala., and continued the practice of law; member of the State house of representatives in 1844 and 1851; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1852; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853-March 3, 1855); declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1854 to the Thirty-fourth Congress; resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C., and died there on January 14, 1884; interment in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Savannah, Ga.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 33 1853-1854

	PICKENS, Israel (1780-1827)
	Bio: a Representative from North Carolina and a Senator from Alabama; born near Concord, Mecklenburg (now Cabarrus) County, N.C., January 30, 1780; moved to Burke County, N.C.; received instruction from private teachers and graduated from Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa., in 1802; studied law; admitted to the bar and practiced; member, North Carolina State senate 1808-1809; elected as a Republican from North Carolina to the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Congresses (March 4, 1811-March 3, 1817); register of the land office of Mississippi Territory (which included the present State of Alabama) 1817-1821; Governor of Alabama 1821-1825; appointed to the United States Senate from Alabama to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Chambers and served from February 17, 1826, to November 27, 1826, when a successor was elected; was not a candidate for election to the vacancy; declined an appointment as judge of the United States Court for the District of Alabama in 1826; died near Matanzas, Cuba, on April 24, 1827; interment in the family cemetery near Greensboro, Hale County, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Senator Jacksonian 19 1825-1826

Image currently unavailable	PIERCE, Charles Wilson (1823-1907)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Benton, Yates County, N.Y., October 7, 1823; completed preparatory studies; moved with his father to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1829, and from there to Huntsville, Ohio, in 1847; moved to Havana, Ill., in 1855; during the Civil War enlisted in Company B, Eighty-fifth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was elected first lieutenant; appointed quartermaster June 14, 1864; commissioned major in 1865; settled in Demopolis, Ala.; held various public offices; upon the readmission of Alabama to representation was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress and served from July 21, 1868, to March 3, 1869; declined to be a candidate for renomination; moved to Nebraska in 1872; member of the Nebraska State constitutional convention in 1875; elected to the State senate in 1877 and reelected in 1880; resigned in 1881 to become register of the United States land office, which position he held until May 1886; returned to his farm; died in Hastings, Fla., February 18, 1907; interment in the family plot on the home farm near Waverly, Lancaster County, Nebr.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 40 1867-1868

Image currently unavailable	PLOWMAN, Thomas Scales (1843-1919)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Talladega, Talladega County, Ala., June 8, 1843; attended the common schools; joined the Confederate Army in May 1862 as a member of Company F, Fifty-first Alabama Cavalry; engaged in agricultural and mercantile pursuits in Talladega, Ala.; elected mayor in 1872 and served three terms; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1888; for a number of years president of the First National Bank of Talladega; presented credentials as a Democratic Member-elect to the Fifty-fifth Congress and served from March 4, 1897, to February 9, 1898, when he was succeeded by William F. Aldrich, who contested his election; member and chairman of the Talladega County Jury Commission in 1910 and 1911; member of the State senate in 1912; first president of the Bankhead Highway; died in Talladega, Ala., July 26, 1919; interment in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative   55 1897-1898

	PRYOR, Luke (1820-1900)
	Bio: a Senator and a Representative from Alabama; born in Huntsville, Madison County, Ala., July 5, 1820; moved with his parents to Limestone County in 1824; pursued academic studies; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1841 and commenced practice in Athens, Ala.; also engaged in agricultural pursuits; member, State house of representatives 1855-1856; appointed to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George S. Houston and served from January 7 to November 23, 1880, when a successor was elected; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1885); declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1884; chairman, Committee on Territories (Forty-eighth Congress); retired to his farm near Athens, Ala., where he died August 5, 1900; interment in the City Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 48 1883-1884 Senator Democrat 46 1879-1880

	PUGH, James Lawrence (1820-1907)
	Bio: a Representative and a Senator from Alabama; born in Burke County, Ga., December 12, 1820; moved with his parents to Alabama in 1824; pursued an academic course in Alabama and Georgia; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1841 and commenced practice in Eufaula, Ala.; also engaged in agricultural pursuits; Democratic presidential elector in 1848, 1856, and 1876; elected to the Thirty-sixth Congress and served from March 4, 1859, to January 21, 1861, when he withdrew; during the Civil War joined the Eufaula Rifles, First Alabama Regiment, as a private; elected to the Confederate Congress in 1861 and reelected in 1863; after the war resumed the practice of law; member of the convention that framed the State constitution in 1875; presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1876; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 2, 1885, caused by the death of George S. Houston; reelected in 1884 and 1890 and served from November 24, 1880, to March 3, 1897; was not a candidate for reelection; chairman, Committee on the Judiciary (Fifty-third Congress), Committee on Revolutionary Claims (Fifty-fourth Congress); retired from active business and resided in Washington, D.C., until his death there on March 9, 1907; interment in the Fairview Cemetery, Eufaula, Barbour County, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Senator Democrat 54 1895-1896 Senator Democrat 53 1893-1894 Senator Democrat 52 1891-1892 Senator Democrat 51 1889-1890 Senator Democrat 50 1887-1888 Senator Democrat 49 1885-1886 Senator Democrat 48 1883-1884 Senator Democrat 47 1881-1882 Senator Democrat 46 1879-1880 Representative Democrat 36 1859-1860

Image currently unavailable	RAINEY, Lilius Bratton (1876-1959)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Dadeville, Tallapoosa County, Ala., July 27, 1876; attended the common schools; moved to Fort Payne, De Kalb County, Ala.; was graduated from the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala., in 1899 and from the law department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1902; was admitted to the bar in the latter year and commenced practice in Gadsden, Ala.; elected a captain in the Alabama National Guard in 1903; reelected and commissioned in 1906, but resigned the command in 1907; city solicitor of Gadsden 1911-1917; elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John L. Burnett; reelected to the Sixty-seventh Congress and served from September 30, 1919, to March 3, 1923; declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1922; trustee of the State department of archives and history, Montgomery, Ala.; resumed the practice of law in Gadsden, Ala., until his death there September 27, 1959; interment in Glenwood Cemetery, Fort Payne, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 67 1921-1922 Representative Democrat 66 1919-1920

Image currently unavailable	RAINS, Albert McKinley (1902-1991)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Grove Oak, De Kalb County, Ala., March 11, 1902; attended the public schools, Snead Seminary, Boaz, Ala., State Teachers College, Jacksonville, Ala., and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1928 and commenced practice in Gadsden, Ala., in 1929; deputy solicitor for Etowah County, Ala., 1930-1935; city attorney for the city of Gadsden, Ala., 1935-1944; served as a member of the State house of representatives 1941-1944; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-ninth and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1945-January 3, 1965); was not a candidate for renomination to the Eighty-ninth Congress; chairman of board, First City National Bank (later First Alabama Bank of Gadsden) until becoming chairman emeritus in 1979; was a resident of Gadsden, Ala., until his death there on March 22, 1991.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 88 1963-1964 Representative Democrat 87 1961-1962 Representative Democrat 86 1959-1960 Representative Democrat 85 1957-1958 Representative Democrat 84 1955-1956 Representative Democrat 83 1953-1954 Representative Democrat 82 1951-1952 Representative Democrat 81 1949-1950 Representative Democrat 80 1947-1948 Representative Democrat 79 1945-1946

	RAPIER, James Thomas (1837-1883)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born a free black in Florence, Lauderdale County, Ala., November 13, 1837; educated by private tutors in Alabama and studied in Canada; studied law and was admitted to the bar; taught school; returned to the South and traveled as a correspondent for a northern newspaper; became a cotton planter in Alabama in 1865; appointed a notary public by the Governor of Alabama in 1866; member of the first Republican convention held in Alabama and was one of the committee that framed the platform; member of the State constitutional convention at Montgomery in 1867; unsuccessful candidate for secretary of state in 1870; appointed assessor of internal revenue in 1871; appointed State commissioner to the Vienna Exposition by the Governor of Alabama in 1873; commissioner on the part of the United States to the World’s Fair in Paris; elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1875); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; appointed collector of internal revenue for the second district of Alabama on August 8, 1878, and served until his death in Montgomery, Ala., May 31, 1883; interment in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 43 1873-1874

	RICHARDSON, William (1839-1914)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Athens, Limestone County, Ala., May 8, 1839; attended the public schools; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Army; paroled in April 1865 in Marietta, Ga.; member of the Alabama house of representatives 1865-1867; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in Huntsville, Ala.; judge of the probate and county courts of Madison County, Ala., 1875-1886; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1904; elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Joseph Wheeler; reelected to the Fifty-seventh and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from August 6, 1900, until his death in Atlantic City, N.J., where he had gone for the benefit of his health, on March 31, 1914; chairman, Committee on Pensions (Sixty-second and Sixty-third Congresses); interment in Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 63 1913-1914 Representative Democrat 62 1911-1912 Representative Democrat 61 1909-1910 Representative Democrat 60 1907-1908 Representative Democrat 59 1905-1906 Representative Democrat 58 1903-1904 Representative Democrat 57 1901-1902 Representative Democrat 56 1899-1900

	RILEY, Robert (1944- )
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Ashland, Clay County, Ala., October 3, 1944; graduated, Clay County High School, Mo., 1962; B.A., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, 1965; member, Ashland City Council, 1972-1976; business owner; rancher; real estate agent; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Fifth and two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1997-January 3, 2003); was not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Eighth Congress in 2002; Governor of Alabama, 2003-2011.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 107 2001-2002 Representative Republican 106 1999-2000 Representative Republican 105 1997-1998

	ROBBINS, Gaston Ahi (1858-1902)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Goldsboro, Wayne County, N.C., September 26, 1858; moved to Randolph County, N.C.; attended Trinity College at Durham and was graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1879; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1880 and commenced practice in Selma, Ala.; elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third Congress (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895); presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Fifty-fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1895, to March 13, 1896, when he was succeeded by William F. Aldrich, who contested his election; presented credentials to the Fifty-sixth Congress and served from March 4, 1899, to March 8, 1900, when he was again succeeded by William F. Aldrich, who contested his election; resumed the practice of law in New York City, where he died on February 22, 1902; interment in Oakwood Cemetery, Statesville, N.C.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 56 1899-1900 Representative Democrat 54 1895-1896 Representative Democrat 53 1893-1894

Image currently unavailable	ROBERTS, Kenneth Allison (1912-1989)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Piedmont, Calhoun County, Ala., November 1, 1912; attended the public schools and Samford College, Birmingham, Ala.; was graduated from the University of Alabama Law School in 1935; was admitted to the bar in 1936 and commenced the practice of law in Anniston, Ala.; practiced law in Talladega 1937-1942; elected to the State senate in 1942, but resigned the same year to enter the United States Navy and served until discharged as a lieutenant in 1945 with service in both Atlantic and Pacific Theaters; president, Piedmont Development Co., 1945-1950; member of Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs and city attorney of Piedmont, Ala., 1948-1950; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-second and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1951-January 3, 1965); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1964 to the Eighty-ninth Congress; resumed the practice of law until his retirement in 1979; counsel, Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission, 1965-1972; member, National Highway Safety Advisory Committee, 1966-1970; was a resident of Anniston, Ala., until his death in Potomac, Md., on May 9, 1989; interment in Arlington National Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 88 1963-1964 Representative Democrat 87 1961-1962 Representative Democrat 86 1959-1960 Representative Democrat 85 1957-1958 Representative Democrat 84 1955-1956 Representative Democrat 83 1953-1954 Representative Democrat 82 1951-1952

Image currently unavailable	ROBY, Martha (1976- )
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Montgomery, Montgomery County, Ala., July 27, 1976; B.M., New York University, New York, N. Y., 1998; J.D., Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., 2001; lawyer, private practice; Montgomery, Ala., city council, 2003-2010; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Twelfth and to the succeeding Congress (January 3, 2011-present).
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 113 2013-2014 Representative Republican 112 2011-2012

	ROGERS, Mike Dennis (1958- )
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Hammond, Lake County, Ind., July 16, 1958; graduated from Saks High School, Anniston, Ala.; B.A., Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Ala., 1981; M.P.A., Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Ala., 1984; J.D., Birmingham School of Law, Birmingham, Ala., 1991; member of the Calhoun County, Ala., commission, 1987-1990; member of the Alabama state house of representatives, 1994-2002, and minority leader, 1998-2000; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Eighth and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2003-present).
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 113 2013-2014 Representative Republican 112 2011-2012 Representative Republican 111 2009-2010 Representative Republican 110 2007-2008 Representative Republican 109 2005-2006 Representative Republican 108 2003-2004

Image currently unavailable	SADLER, Thomas William (1831-1896)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born near Russellville, Franklin County, Ala., April 17, 1831; moved with his parents to Jefferson County, Ala., in 1833; pursued an academic course; moved to Autauga County, Ala., in 1855 and engaged in mercantile pursuits; during the Civil War volunteered and served in the division of the Confederate Army commanded by Gen. Joseph Wheeler; engaged in agricultural pursuits; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in Prattville, Ala.; county superintendent of education 1875-1884; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1885-March 3, 1887); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886; resumed the practice of law; died in Prattville, Autauga County, Ala., October 29, 1896; interment in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 49 1885-1886

Image currently unavailable	SAMFORD, William James (1844-1901)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Greenville, Meriwether County, Ga., September 16, 1844; moved in early childhood with his parents to Chambers County, Ala.; attended a private school in Auburn, Ala., and the University of Georgia at Athens in 1860; enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 as a private in the Forty-sixth Alabama Regiment; promoted to first lieutenant and was in command of a company at the close of the war; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in Opelika, Lee County, Ala., in 1867; delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1875; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1879-March 3, 1881); was not a candidate for renomination in 1880; again resumed the practice of his profession; member of the State house of representatives in 1882; served in the State senate 1884-1886 and in 1892 and was its president in 1886; Governor of Alabama in 1900 and 1901; president of the board of trustees of the University of Alabama; died in Tuscaloosa, Ala., June 11, 1901; interment in Rosemere Cemetery, Opelika, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 46 1879-1880

Image currently unavailable	SELDEN, Armistead Inge (1921-1985)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Greensboro, Hale County, Ala., February 20, 1921; attended the public schools; graduated from Greensboro High School in 1938 and from the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., in 1942; served in the United States Navy from August 1942 until March 1946, with 31 months aboard ship, primarily in the North Atlantic, and was discharged as a lieutenant; lieutenant commander in the United States Naval Reserve; entered the University of Alabama School of Law and graduated in 1948; was admitted to the bar in 1948 and commenced practice in Greensboro, Ala.; member of the State house of representatives in 1951 and 1952; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-third Congress; reelected to the seven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1953-January 3, 1969); was not a candidate in 1968 for reelection to the United States House of Representatives but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the United States Senate; resumed the practice of law until October 1970; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs), October 1970-February 1973; Ambassador to New Zealand, Fiji, The Kingdom of Tonga, and Western Samoa, 1974-1979; was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for nomination to the United States Senate from Alabama in 1980; president, American League for Exports and Security Assistance, 1980-1985; was a resident of Greensboro, Ala., and Falls Church, Va., until his death in Birmingham, Ala., November 14, 1985; interment in Greensboro City Cemetery, Greensboro, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 90 1967-1968 Representative Democrat 89 1965-1966 Representative Democrat 88 1963-1964 Representative Democrat 87 1961-1962 Representative Democrat 86 1959-1960 Representative Democrat 85 1957-1958 Representative Democrat 84 1955-1956 Representative Democrat 83 1953-1954

Image currently unavailable	SEWELL, Terri (1965- )
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, on January 1, 1965; graduated from Selma High School, Selma, Ala., 1982; B.A., Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., 1986; M.A., Oxford University, Oxford, U.K., 1988; J.D., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 1992; lawyer, private practice; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Twelfth and to the succeeding Congress (January 3, 2011-present).
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 113 2013-2014 Representative Democrat 112 2011-2012

Image currently unavailable	SHEATS, Charles Christopher (1839-1904)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Walker County, Ala., April 10, 1839; attended the common schools; elected a member of the secession convention in 1860 but refused to sign the ordinance of secession; member of the State house of representatives in 1861 and expelled for his adherence to the Union in 1862; was imprisoned on a charge of treason by the Confederate authorities, but could not obtain a trial, and was not released until after the close of the Civil War; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1864 to the Thirty-ninth Congress; member of the constitutional convention in 1865; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced practice in Decatur; appointed by President Grant consul at Elsinore, Denmark, May 31, 1869, and served until elected to Congress; elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress (March 4, 1873-March 3, 1875); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; died in Decatur, Morgan County, Ala., May 27, 1904; interment in McKendree Cemetery, near Decatur.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 43 1873-1874

	SHELBY, Richard C. (1934- )
	Bio: a Senator and a Representative from Alabama; born in Birmingham, Ala., May 6, 1934; attended the public schools; graduated, University of Alabama 1957; graduated, University of Alabama School of Law 1963; admitted to the Alabama bar in 1961 and commenced practice in Tuscaloosa; city prosecutor, Tuscaloosa 1963-1971; United States Commissioner, Northern District of Alabama 1966-1970; member, Alabama State senate 1970-1978; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-sixth Congress in 1978; reelected to the three succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1987; was not a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives in 1986, but was elected to the United States Senate; reelected in 1992, 1998, 2004, and again in 2010 for the term ending January 3, 2017; changed from the Democratic to the Republican Party in 1994; chair, Select Committee on Intelligence (One Hundred Fifth and One Hundred Sixth Congresses, One Hundred Seventh Congress [January 20, 2001-June 6, 2001]); chair, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs (One Hundred Eighth and One Hundred Ninth Congresses).
Position Party Session of Congress Years Senator Republican 113 2013-2014 Senator Republican 112 2011-2012 Senator Republican 111 2009-2010 Senator Republican 110 2007-2008 Senator Republican 109 2005-2006 Senator Republican 108 2003-2004 Senator Republican 107 2001-2002 Senator Republican 106 1999-2000 Senator Republican 105 1997-1998 Senator Republican 104 1995-1996 Senator Republican 103 1993-1994 Senator Democrat 102 1991-1992 Senator Democrat 101 1989-1990 Senator Democrat 100 1987-1988 Representative Democrat 99 1985-1986 Representative Democrat 98 1983-1984 Representative Democrat 97 1981-1982 Representative Democrat 96 1979-1980

Image currently unavailable	SHELLEY, Charles Miller (1833-1907)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Sullivan County, Tenn., December 28, 1833; moved with his father to Selma, Ala., in 1836; received a limited schooling; became an architect and builder; entered the Confederate Army in February 1861 as lieutenant and was stationed first at Fort Morgan and afterward attached to the Fifth Alabama Regiment; was commissioned brigadier general; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1877-March 3, 1881); presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Forty-seventh Congress, but the election was contested by James Q. Smith and the seat declared vacant July 20, 1882; subsequently elected to fill the vacancy thus caused and served from November 7, 1882, to March 3, 1883; presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Forty-eighth Congress and served from March 4, 1883, to January 9, 1885, when he was succeeded by George H. Craig, who contested the election; returned to Birmingham, Jefferson County, Ala., and engaged in promoting the industrial interests of that region until his death in that city January 20, 1907; interment in Oak Hill Cemetery, Talladega, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 48 1883-1884 Representative Democrat 47 1881-1882 Representative Democrat 46 1879-1880 Representative Democrat 45 1877-1878

Image currently unavailable	SHERROD, William Crawford (1835-1919)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Courtland, Lawrence County, Ala., August 17, 1835; attended the common schools, a preparatory school at Edgefield, N.C., and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1851 and 1852; returned to Courtland and engaged in planting; member of the State house of representatives in 1859 and 1860; delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Charleston, S.C., in 1860; during the Civil War served as a colonel under Gen. N.B. Forrest in the Confederate Army; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-first Congress (March 4, 1869-March 3, 1871); was not a candidate for renomination in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress; again engaged in planting; member of the State senate in 1875; moved to Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Tex., in 1893, engaged in farming and ranching, and died there on March 24, 1919; interment in Riverside Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 41 1869-1870

Image currently unavailable	SHIELDS, Benjamin Glover (1808-1850)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Abbeville, S.C., in 1808; moved with his father to Clarke County, Ala.; resided in Demopolis, Marengo County, Ala.; completed preparatory studies; member of the State house of representatives in 1834; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1841-March 3, 1843); commissioned in 1845 by President Polk United States Chargé d’Affaires to Venezuela, where he remained until January 7, 1850; moved to Texas and engaged in planting until his death in 1850.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 27 1841-1842

Image currently unavailable	SHORTER, Eli Sims (1823-1879)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Monticello, Jasper County, Ga., March 15, 1823; attended the common schools and was graduated in law from Yale College in 1844; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Eufaula, Ala., in 1844; also engaged in agricultural pursuits; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1855-March 3, 1859); resumed the practice of law in Eufaula, Ala.; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Army as colonel of the Eighteenth Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry; died in Eufaula, Ala., April 29, 1879; interment in Fairview Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 35 1857-1858 Representative Democrat 34 1855-1856

Image currently unavailable	SLOSS, Joseph Humphrey (1826-1911)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Somerville, Ala., October 12, 1826; completed preparatory studies; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in St. Louis, Mo.; moved to Edwardsville, Ill., in 1849; member of the Illinois State house of representatives in 1858 and 1859; returned to Alabama; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Army; mayor of Tuscumbia, Ala.; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses (March 4, 1871-March 3, 1875); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; appointed United States marshal for the northern district of Alabama February 10, 1877, and served until September 6, 1882; clerk of the Federal court at Huntsville, Ala.; engaged in agricultural pursuits near Huntsville; moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he died January 27, 1911; interment in Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 43 1873-1874 Representative Democrat 42 1871-1872

Image currently unavailable	SMITH, William Russell (1815-1896)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Russellville, Ky., March 27, 1815; moved at an early age to Huntsville, Ala.; pursued classical studies and attended the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Greensboro, Ala., in 1835; served as captain of Alabama State troops in the campaign against the Creek Indians in 1836; moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he continued the practice of law and also engaged in newspaper work; founded and edited the Mirror; mayor of Tuscaloosa in 1839; author of several books and plays; member of the state house of representatives 1841-1843; elected brigadier general of militia in 1845; judge of the seventh judicial circuit in 1850 and 1851; elected as a Unionist to the Thirty-second Congress, reelected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress, and elected as an American Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1851-March 3, 1857); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress; member of the state constitutional convention in 1861 and voted against secession; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Army as colonel of the Twenty-sixth Alabama Regiment; Representative in the First and Second Confederate Congresses; president of the University of Alabama 1869-1871; resumed the practice of his profession and engaged in historical and literary pursuits; died in Washington, D.C., on February 26, 1896; interment in Tuscaloosa, Ala.; reinterment in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative American Party 34 1855-1856 Representative Democrat 33 1853-1854 Representative Unionist 32 1851-1852

Image currently unavailable	SMITH, Albert Lee (1931-1997)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Ala., August 31, 1931; graduated from Ramsay High School, Birmingham, Ala., 1949; B.S., Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., 1954; United States Navy, 1954-1956; insurance agent; delegate, Republican National Conventions, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1984; unsuccessful candidate for election to the Ninety-sixth Congress in 1978; elected as a Republican to the Ninety-seventh Congress (January 3, 1981-January 3, 1983); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-eighth Congress in 1982; unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1984; member of the Federal Council on the Aging, Washington, D.C., 1985; died on August 12, 1997, in Birmingham, Ala.; interment in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Republican 97 1981-1982

Image currently unavailable	SMITH, William Russell (1815-1896)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Russellville, Ky., March 27, 1815; moved at an early age to Huntsville, Ala.; pursued classical studies and attended the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Greensboro, Ala., in 1835; served as captain of Alabama State troops in the campaign against the Creek Indians in 1836; moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he continued the practice of law and also engaged in newspaper work; founded and edited the Mirror; mayor of Tuscaloosa in 1839; author of several books and plays; member of the state house of representatives 1841-1843; elected brigadier general of militia in 1845; judge of the seventh judicial circuit in 1850 and 1851; elected as a Unionist to the Thirty-second Congress, reelected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress, and elected as an American Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1851-March 3, 1857); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress; member of the state constitutional convention in 1861 and voted against secession; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Army as colonel of the Twenty-sixth Alabama Regiment; Representative in the First and Second Confederate Congresses; president of the University of Alabama 1869-1871; resumed the practice of his profession and engaged in historical and literary pursuits; died in Washington, D.C., on February 26, 1896; interment in Tuscaloosa, Ala.; reinterment in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative American Party 34 1855-1856 Representative Democrat 33 1853-1854 Representative Unionist 32 1851-1852

	SPARKMAN, John Jackson (1899-1985)
	Bio: a Representative and a Senator from Alabama; born on a farm near Hartselle, Morgan County, Ala., December 20, 1899; attended the rural schools and helped on the family farm; during the First World War was a member of the Students Army Training Corps; graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1921 and from its law school in 1923; admitted to the bar in 1925 and commenced practice in Huntsville, Madison County, Ala.; instructor at Huntsville (Ala.) College 1925-1928; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fifth and to the five succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1937, to November 5, 1946, when he resigned; majority whip in 1946; was reelected to the Eightieth Congress on November 5, 1946, and at the same time was elected to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John H. Bankhead II for the term ending January 3, 1949; following the election resigned from the House of Representatives and began duties in the Senate November 6, 1946; reelected in 1948, 1954, 1960, 1966 and 1972 and served from November 6, 1946, to January 3, 1979; was not a candidate for reelection in 1978; chairman, Select Committee on Small Business (Eighty-first, Eighty-second, and Eighty-fourth through Ninetieth Congresses), co-chairman, Joint Committee on Inaugural Arrangements (Eighty-sixth Congress), chairman, Committee on Banking and Currency (Ninetieth and Ninety-first Congresses), co-chairman, Joint Committee on Defense Production (Ninety-first and Ninety-third Congresses), Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (Ninety-second and Ninety-third Congresses), Committee on Foreign Relations (Ninety-fourth and Ninety-fifth Congresses); representative of the United States to the Fifth General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950; unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1952; died in Huntsville, Ala., November 16, 1985; interment in Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Senator Democrat 95 1977-1978 Senator Democrat 94 1975-1976 Senator Democrat 93 1973-1974 Senator Democrat 92 1971-1972 Senator Democrat 91 1969-1970 Senator Democrat 90 1967-1968 Senator Democrat 89 1965-1966 Senator Democrat 88 1963-1964 Senator Democrat 87 1961-1962 Senator Democrat 86 1959-1960 Senator Democrat 85 1957-1958 Senator Democrat 84 1955-1956 Senator Democrat 83 1953-1954 Senator Democrat 82 1951-1952 Senator Democrat 81 1949-1950 Representative Democrat 81 1949-1950 Representative Democrat 80 1947-1948 Senator Democrat 80 1947-1948 Senator Democrat 79 1945-1946 Representative Democrat 79 1945-1946 Representative Democrat 78 1943-1944 Representative Democrat 77 1941-1942 Representative Democrat 76 1939-1940 Representative Democrat 75 1937-1938

	STALLINGS, Jesse Francis (1856-1928)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born near Manningham, Butler County, Ala., April 4, 1856; completed preparatory studies and was graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1877; studied law at that university; was admitted to the bar in April 1880 and commenced practice in Greenville, Ala.; elected by the legislature of Alabama as solicitor for the second judicial circuit in November 1886 and served until his resignation in September 1892; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1888; elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1901); was not a candidate for renomination in 1900; resumed the practice of his profession in Birmingham, Ala.; president of the Lincoln Reserve Life Insurance Co. 1912-1928: died in Birmingham, Ala., on March 18, 1928; interment in Elmwood Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 56 1899-1900 Representative Democrat 55 1897-1898 Representative Democrat 54 1895-1896 Representative Democrat 53 1893-1894

	STALLWORTH, James Adams (1822-1861)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Evergreen, Conecuh County, Ala., April 7, 1822; attended Old Field Piney Woods Schools; engaged as a planter; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1848 and commenced practice in Evergreen, Ala.; member of the State house of representatives 1845-1848; solicitor for the second judicial circuit of Alabama in 1850 and 1855; unsuccessful candidate for election in 1854 to the Thirty-fourth Congress; elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses and served from March 4, 1857, to January 21, 1861, when he withdrew; died near Evergreen, Conecuh County, Ala., August 31, 1861; interment in Evergreen Cemetery.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 36 1859-1860 Representative Democrat 35 1857-1858

Image currently unavailable	STARNES, Joe (1895-1962)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Guntersville, Marshall County, Ala., March 31, 1895; attended the public schools; taught school in Marshall County, Ala., 1912-1917; during the First World War served overseas as a second lieutenant in the Fifty-third Infantry, Sixth Division, in 1918 and 1919; was graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1921; was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice at Guntersville, Ala.; member of the One Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Infantry, Alabama National Guard, since 1923, advancing through the ranks to colonel; member of the State board of education 1933-1949 and became vice chairman in January 1948; elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-fourth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935-January 3, 1945); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1944; served as a colonel of Infantry in the European Theater of Operations and in the Army of Occupation from January 4, 1945, until discharged on February 22, 1946; resumed the practice of law in Guntersville, Ala.; died in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1962; interment in City Cemetery, Guntersville, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 78 1943-1944 Representative Democrat 77 1941-1942 Representative Democrat 76 1939-1940 Representative Democrat 75 1937-1938 Representative Democrat 74 1935-1936

	STEAGALL, Henry Bascom (1873-1943)
	Bio: a Representative from Alabama; born in Clopton, Dale County, Ala., May 19, 1873; attended the common schools and the Southeast Alabama Agricultural School at Abbeville; was graduated from the law department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa in 1893; was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Ozark, Ala.; county solicitor of Dale County 1902-1908; member of the State house of representatives in 1906 and 1907; member of the State Democratic executive committee 1906-1910; prosecuting attorney of the third judicial circuit 1907-1914; delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1912; elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fourth and to the fourteen succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1915, until his death in Washington, D.C., November 22, 1943; chairman, Committee on Banking and Currency (Seventy-second through Seventy-eighth Congresses); co-sponsor of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1932; interment in the City Cemetery, Ozark, Ala.
Position Party Session of Congress Years Representative Democrat 78 1943-1944 Representative Democrat 77 1941-1942 Representative Democrat 76 1939-1940 Representative Democrat 75 1937-1938 Representative Democrat 74 1935-1936 Representative Democrat 73 1933-1934 Representative Democrat 72 1931-1932 Representative Democrat 71 1929-1930 Representative Democrat 70 1927-1928 Representative Democrat 69 1925-1926 Representative Democrat 68 1923-1924 Representative Democrat 67 1921-1922 Representative Democrat 66 1919-1920 Representative Democrat 65 1917-1918 Representative Democrat 64 1915-1916