PoliticalGraveyard.com

Engineer Politicians in West Virginia

Ernest L. Bailey — of Matoaka, Mercer County, W.Va. Born in Dott, Mercer County, W.Va. Democrat. Civil engineer; banker; coal business; West Virginia State Road Commissioner; delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1944, 1948, 1952; West Virginia Democratic state chair, 1948-52; Democratic Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1948; member of West Virginia Democratic State Executive Committee, 1952-53. Episcopalian. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Winton E. Bailey and Josephine (Mastin) Bailey; married, September 16, 1914, to Minniebelle Atkins.   James D. Brackenrich (b. 1936) — also known as J. D. Brackenrich — of Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, W.Va. Born in Greenbrier County, W.Va., January 23, 1936. Democrat. Engineer; surveyor; member of West Virginia state senate 11th District, 1987-93; resigned 1993. Baptist. Member, Freemasons; Elks; National Rifle Association. Pleaded guilty on May 1, 1996 to a misdemeanor charge of filling wetlands without a Clean Water Act permit. Still living as of 1996.   Relatives: Son of James Brackenrich and Helen Brackenrich; married 1958 to Patricia Griffith. Spencer K. Creel (b. 1896) — of Parkersburg, Wood County, W.Va. Born in Freeport, Wirt County, W.Va., April 27, 1896. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Wood County, 1939-40, 1943-64, 1967-70; defeated, 1934, 1940, 1964; resigned 1970; West Virginia Republican state chair, 1952-54. Lutheran. Member, Freemasons; Royal Arch Masons; Knights Templar; Shriners; American Legion; Forty and Eight; Farm Bureau. Interment at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Parkersburg, W.Va.   Relatives: Son of John A. Creel and Isabella (Foutty) Creel; married, November 28, 1918, to Bertha Gillman.   Image source: West Virginia Blue Book 1951 Henry Clay Erman (1842-1926) — also known as Henry C. Erman — of St. Louis, Mo. Born in Wheeling, Ohio County, Va. (now W.Va.), June 16, 1842. Republican. Mining engineer; member of Missouri state house of representatives, 1897-98, 1911-18 (St. Louis City 6th District 1897-98, St. Louis City 1st District 1911-18). Died May 30, 1926 (age 83 years, 348 days). Interment at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.   Presumably named for: Henry Clay   Relatives: Son of Solomon Erman and Nancy Erman; married, August 10, 1870, to Dorothy 'Dora' Rock.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   Image source: Missouri Official Manual 1917   Lowell Jackson Fellure (b. 1931) — also known as Jack Fellure — of Hurricane, Putnam County, W.Va. Born in Midkiff, Lincoln County, W.Va., October 3, 1931. Engineer; candidate for Republican nomination for President, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008; Prohibition candidate for President of the United States, 2012. Still living as of 2012.   See also Wikipedia article   Ralph Allen Gawthrop (1885-1959) — also known as Ralph A. Gawthrop — of Clarksburg, Harrison County, W.Va. Born in Salem, Harrison County, W.Va., November 27, 1885. Democrat. Safety engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Harrison County; elected 1952. Protestant. Member, Elks. Died in Lumberport, Harrison County, W.Va., June 19, 1959 (age 73 years, 204 days). Interment at Bridgeport Cemetery, Bridgeport, W.Va.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   Philip Hager Jr. (1872-1966) — of Hamlin, Lincoln County, W.Va. Born in Hamlin, Lincoln County, W.Va., February 23, 1872. Republican. Surveyor; engineer; lumber business; director, Farmers and Merchants Bank; member of West Virginia state senate 5th District, 1921-24; chair of Lincoln County Republican Party, 1922-24. Baptist. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar; Odd Fellows. Died in Hamlin, Lincoln County, W.Va., 1966 (age about 94 years). Interment at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, Hamlin, W.Va.   Relatives: Son of Rev. Philip Hager and Elizabeth Jane (Dalton) Hager; married, July 12, 1894, to Sarah J. Ferrell; married, September 1, 1923, to Yantus Johnson.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial Henry H. Harrison (b. 1850) — of Stillwater, Washington County, Minn. Born near Wheeling, Ohio County, W.Va., 1850. Civil engineer; member of Minnesota state house of representatives, 1913-20 (District 31 1913-14, District 43 1915-20). Burial location unknown.   See also Minnesota Legislator record   Image source: Minnesota Legislative Manual 1917   John Joseph Lincoln, Sr. (1865-1948) — also known as John J. Lincoln — of McDowell County, W.Va. Born near Rising Sun, Lehigh County, Pa., October 11, 1865. Republican. Mining engineer; Republican Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1929 (voted for Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis). Quaker. Died in Elkhorn, McDowell County, W.Va., January 28, 1948 (age 82 years, 109 days). Interment at Newtown Cemetery, Newtown, Pa.   David Bennett McKinley (b. 1947) — also known as David B. McKinley — of Wheeling, Ohio County, W.Va. Born in Wheeling, Ohio County, W.Va., March 28, 1947. Republican. Civil engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates 3rd District, 1980-94; defeated, 1980; appointed 1980; West Virginia Republican state chair, 1990-94; candidate for Governor of West Virginia, 1996; U.S. Representative from West Virginia 1st District, 2011-. Episcopalian. Member, American Society of Civil Engineers; Rotary; Elks; Farm Bureau; Beta Theta Pi; Jaycees. Still living as of 2018.   See also congressional biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier   Roy H. Rogerson (b. 1929) — of Moundsville, Marshall County, W.Va. Born in Ohio County, W.Va., January 16, 1929. Republican. Chemical engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Marshall County, 1967-72; defeated, 1978; member of West Virginia state senate 2nd District, 1973-76; defeated, 1976. Presbyterian. Member, Knights of Pythias; Moose. Still living as of 1978.   Relatives: Son of Russell Rogerson and Lilly (Fisher) Rogerson; married, March 23, 1951, to LaVerne Yoho. Gordon W. Sammons (1896-1974) — of Moundsville, Marshall County, W.Va. Born in Aleppo, Greene County, Pa., July 3, 1896. Republican. Civil engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Marshall County, 1951-54, 1963-64; defeated, 1960. Protestant. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Elks; Moose; Rotary. Died in 1974 (age about 77 years). Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of James J. Sammons and Catherine (Gordon) Sammons; married 1939 to Cecilia Rodgers.   Image source: West Virginia Blue Book 1951   William R. Sharpe Jr. (b. 1928) — also known as William R. Sharpe; Bill Sharpe — of Weston, Lewis County, W.Va. Born in Clarksburg, Harrison County, W.Va., October 28, 1928. Democrat. Electrical engineer; electrical contractor; candidate for West Virginia state house of delegates from Harrison County, 1946; member of West Virginia state senate 13th District, 1961-80, 1985-; delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 2000. Methodist. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Elks; Eagles; Moose; Odd Fellows; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Still living as of 2000.   Relatives: Son of William R. Sharpe and Helen (Whitwam) Sharpe; married, July 3, 1953, to Pauline Lester.   Allen Simmons (b. 1891) — of Moundsville, Marshall County, W.Va. Born in Somerset, Bristol County, Mass., August 8, 1891. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; civil engineer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Marshall County, 1935-36. Member, Freemasons; Eagles; Tau Beta Pi; Kiwanis; American Legion; Forty and Eight; National Rifle Association. Burial location unknown.

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