James Benjamin Aswell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromLouisiana's8th district | |
| In office March 4, 1913 – March 16, 1931 | |
| Preceded by | district created |
| Succeeded by | John H. Overton |
| President ofLouisiana Tech University | |
| In office 1900–1904 | |
| Preceded by | W. C. Robinson |
| Succeeded by | W. E. Taylor |
| Louisiana Superintendent of Education | |
| In office 1904–1908 | |
| Succeeded by | T. H. Harris |
| President ofNorthwestern State University | |
| In office 1908–1911 | |
| Preceded by | Beverly C. Caldwell |
| Succeeded by | Victor L. Roy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1869-12-23)December 23, 1869 Vernon,Jackson Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1931(1931-03-16) (aged 61) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Peabody College University of Nashville University of Arkansas University of Arkansas School of Law |
| Occupation | Teacher; lawyer; politician |
James Benjamin Aswell Sr. (December 23, 1869 – March 16, 1931) was a prominent educator and aDemocraticU.S. representative fromLouisiana, who served from 1913 until his death, which occurred twelve days into his tenth term.
Aswell was born in the Vernon community in ruralJackson Parish in north Louisiana to Benjamin W. and Elizabeth A. (Lyles) Aswell . He graduated with teaching credentials in 1892 fromPeabody College. In 1893, he received the Bachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Nashville, and received aMaster of Arts degree from theUniversity of Arkansas atFayetteville the following year. In 1907, he obtained hislaw degree from the same institution.[1]
He was a state school administrator before he was selected to be president of Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, nowLouisiana Tech University, in 1900. He resigned in 1904 after being elected asLouisiana Superintendent of Education in 1904. He resigned his position in 1908 to be president of Louisiana State Normal School, nowNorthwestern State University. Aswell resigned his position in 1911 to run unsuccessfully for governor in the1912 Democratic primary. He was defeated byLuther E. Hall, who served in the state's highest office from 1912 to 1916.[2]
Later that year, Aswell was elected to the U.S. House from the newly created8th congressional district, based aroundNatchitoches andAlexandria. Aswell was reelected nine times. During the 1920s, he was the ranking minority member of theHouse Agriculture Committee. He worked with the LouisiananaturalistCaroline Dormon to establish theKisatchie National Forest in his district.[1]
He died in Washington, D.C., and is interred there inRock Creek Cemetery.[3]
| 1st district |   | |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd district | ||
| 3rd district | ||
| 4th district | ||
| 5th district | ||
| 6th district | ||
| 7th district | ||
| 8th district | ||
| At-large | ||
| Territory | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
