William Wirt Courtney | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Tennessee State Library and Archives | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTennessee | |
| In office May 11, 1939 – January 3, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Clarence W. Turner |
| Succeeded by | James P. Sutton |
| Constituency | 6th District (1939-1943) 7th District (1943-1949) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 7, 1889 (1889-09-07) Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 6, 1961 (1961-04-07) (aged 71) Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Currey L. Taylor Courtney |
| Alma mater | Sorbonne,Paris, France |
| Profession | Attorney Politician Judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | September 1917 to June 1919 |
| Rank |  First lieutenant |
| Unit | 117th Infantry, 13th Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
William Wirt Courtney (September 7, 1889 – April 6, 1961) was an American politician and aU.S. Representative fromTennessee.
Born inFranklin, Tennessee, Courtney was the son of Wirt Courtney and Anne (Neely) Courtney. He graduated fromBattle Ground Academy,Franklin, Tennessee, in 1907. He attendedVanderbilt University,Nashville, Tennessee, and the Faculté de Droit of theSorbonne,Paris, France. He studied law, and wasadmitted to the bar in 1911. He commenced practice inFranklin, Tennessee.
After serving as City Judge from 1915 to 1917, Courtney enlisted in theUnited States Army as a private in the One Hundred and Seventeenth Infantry, Thirtieth Division, in September 1917, and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in June 1919. He resumed the practice of law inFranklin, Tennessee. He married Currey L. Taylor on December 31, 1919, and they had four children.[1]
Courtney served asadjutant general of Tennessee in 1932, and as a member of theTennessee National Guard in 1933 with rank of brigadier general. From 1933 to 1939, he served as circuit judge and chancellor of the 17th judicial circuit of Tennessee.[2]
Elected as aDemocrat to theSeventy-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Clarence W. Turner, Courtney was reelected to theSeventy-seventh and to the three succeeding Congresses. He served from May 11, 1939, to January 3, 1949.[3] A confidential 1943 analysis of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee byIsaiah Berlin for the BritishForeign Office described Eaton as "Typical of thesouthern Democratic vote of complete support for theAdministration's foreign policies."[4] He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1948, and resumed the practice of law.
Courtney died inFranklin, Tennessee, on April 6, 1961, (age 71 years, 211 days). He isinterred at Mount Hope Cemetery.[5]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTennessee's 6th congressional district 1939–1943 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTennessee's 7th congressional district 1943–1949 | Succeeded by |
