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Rufus Ezekiel Lester
Rufus Ezekiel Lester taken by C. M. Bell Studios
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromGeorgia's1st district
In office March 4, 1889 – June 16, 1906
Preceded by	Thomas M. Norwood
Succeeded by	James W. Overstreet
40th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia
In office 1883–1889
Preceded by	John Wheaton
Succeeded by	John Schwarz
Personal details
Born	(1837-12-12)December 12, 1837 NearWaynesboro, Georgia, U.S.
Died	June 16, 1906(1906-06-16) (aged 68) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Cause of death	Falling through skylight
Resting place	Bonaventure Cemetery,Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Mercer University
Occupation	Attorney

Rufus Ezekiel Lester (December 12, 1837 – June 16, 1906) was aU.S. representative fromGeorgia.^[1][2]

Born nearWaynesboro, Georgia, Lester graduated fromMercer University,Macon, Georgia, in 1857. He studied law. He wasadmitted to the bar inSavannah, Georgia, and commenced practice in 1859. He entered the military service of theConfederate States Army in 1861 and served throughout theCivil War. He resumed the practice of law in Savannah. He served as member of theGeorgia State Senate in 1870–1879 and served as president of that body during the last three years. He served as mayor of Savannah from 1883 to 1889. He was also a slave owner.^[3][4]

Lester was elected as aDemocrat to theFifty-first and to the eight succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1889, until his death inWashington, D.C., on June 16, 1906. He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of State (Fifty-second andFifty-third Congresses).

He died after an accident in which he fell through a skylight on the roof ofThe Cairo, the Washington, D.C. apartment building where he resided.^[5] Lester went to the roof to look for his two young grandchildren and apparently missed his footing, fell about 30 feet through the skylight, and landed on the building's eleventh floor.^[5] He broke both legs and sustained internal injuries which proved fatal.^[6]

He was interred at Bonaventure Cemetery inSavannah, Georgia.^[7]

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)

• United States Congress."Rufus E. Lester (id: L000255)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• United States House of Representatives (1907).Rufus Ezekiel Lester, Late a Representative. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.

• 1837 births
• 1906 deaths
• Mayors of Savannah, Georgia
• Confederate States Army personnel
• People from Burke County, Georgia
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)
• Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators
• Accidental deaths from falls
• Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly

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