William H. Sims | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 10th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 1878 – January 3, 1882 | |
| Governor | John M. Stone |
| Preceded by | John M. Stone |
| Succeeded by | G. D. Shands |
| 18th President pro tempore of the Mississippi State Senate | |
| In office January 1876 – January 1878 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Stone |
| Succeeded by | Reuben O. Reynolds |
| Member of theMississippi State Senate from the 18th district | |
| In office January 1876 – January 1878 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1837-07-31)July 31, 1837 |
| Died | February 28, 1920(1920-02-28) (aged 82) |
| Party | Democrat |
| Children | 1 |
William Henry Sims (July 31, 1837 - February 28, 1920) was a lawyer, Confederate officer, andDemocratic politician fromMississippi. He was the state's lieutenant governor from 1878 to 1882.
William Henry Sims was born on July 31, 1837, inLexington, Georgia.[1][2][3][4] He was the son of James Saunders Sims and Anna Booker (Moore) Sims, both of whom hadVirginian descent.[1][2][4] William was the eldest of three children.[5] He graduated from theUniversity of Georgia in 1856.[2][1][3] He studied law and was admitted to the bar in his new residence ofColumbus, Mississippi, in 1859.[2][1][3] He then spent a year inHarvard Law School to further his law study.[2] Sims fought for theConfederacy in theCivil War, and reached the rank oflieutenant colonel.[1] He lost the lower part of one of his legs at theBattle of Franklin.[1][6] After the war, he returned toColumbus to continue practicing law.[1]
In 1866, he was elected probate judge ofLowndes County, a position he held until 1869.[1] In 1875, he was elected to theMississippi Senate to represent the state's 18th district, consisting of Lowndes,Oktibbeha, andClay counties from 1876 to 1878.[1][7][8] After the departures ofRepublican state governorAdelbert Ames and lieutenant governorAlexander Davis in 1876,John M. Stone (the President Pro Tempore of the Senate) became the Governor of Mississippi, and Sims was voted president pro tempore, becoming the state's acting lieutenant governor.[2][1] Sims was then elected lieutenant governor in the election in 1878.[1][4] Sims did not seek re-election in 1882, and went back to practicing law.[2][1] In 1888, he was chosen as a state delegate to theDemocratic National Convention.[1] He was also a delegate to the convention in 1892.[1] From 1893 to 1897, he was the assistantSecretary of the Interior.[1]
In 1898, he moved toBirmingham, Alabama, and in 1899, he set up a law office there with his son.[1][4] He died at his home in Birmingham on February 28, 1920.[9][6][4]
Sims married Louisa Upson on August 11, 1870.[1][2][3] They had one child, Henry Upson Sims, who was born inColumbus on June 27, 1873.[1][3] Louisa died in 1913.[3][10]
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