William Terrell (1786 – July 4, 1855) was an American politician and physician who was elected as aUnited States representative fromGeorgia.[1][2]
He was one of two children born to Joel and Lucy (Ragland) Terrell.[2][3] He was born in eitherFairfax County[1] (orLouisa County),[2] Virginia. He moved with his parents toWilkes County, Georgia, about 1784.[2] He pursued classical studies. Terrell later graduated from theUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine atPhiladelphia and commenced practice inSparta, Georgia.[1]
In 1818, Terrell married Eliza Rhodes, the daughter of William Rhodes. To this union was born a daughter, Lucy.[2]
He is a great-great-grandson of William and Susannah (Waters) Terrell.[2] As a result, he is related to bothBarack Obama andJimmy Carter.[4]
He was a member of theGeorgia House of Representatives, representingHancock County from 1810 to 1813, and held various local offices.[1]
Terrell was elected as aDemocratic-Republican to theUnited States House of Representatives, serving in the15th and16thCongresses serving from March 4, 1817, until March 3, 1821. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1820, and resumed the practice of medicine.[1]
After he left Congress, Terrell devoted more of his time to the promotion of Agricultural Science than his medical practice. In 1853, he donated $20,000 to theUniversity of Georgia to establish a Department of Agriculture.[2]
Terrell died inSparta, Georgia, on 4 July 1855 and was interred in Sparta Cemetery.[1]
His house still stands in Sparta today.[5]
Terrell County, Georgia, created in 1856 from portions ofRandolph andLee Counties, was named for William Terrell. Dawson, the county seat, is named afterWilliam C. Dawson, his daughter's father-in-law.[2][6]
He became a distinguished figure in Georgia, and was a most useful citizen.
Terrell County was created from Randolph and Lee counties in 1856. It is named for Dr. William Terrell of Sparta who served in both the state legislature and the Congress. Dawson, the county seat, is named for another legislator and jurist, William C. Dawson.
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's at-large congressional district March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 | Succeeded by |
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