William R. Ellis | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1899 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Malcolm A. Moody |
| In office March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | John N. Williamson |
| Succeeded by | Walter Lafferty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 23, 1850 |
| Died | January 18, 1915(1915-01-18) (aged 64) |
| Political party | Republican |
William Russell Ellis (April 23, 1850 – January 18, 1915) was an American educator, attorney and politician in the state ofOregon. A native ofIndiana, he grew up inIowa before moving to Oregon where he worked as a school superintendent and district attorney. ARepublican, he served asU.S. congressman from Oregon in the new2nd district from 1893 to 1899, and again from 1907 to 1911.
Ellis was born inWaveland, Indiana, in 1850.[1] In 1855, he moved with his family toGuthrie County, Iowa, where he attended the public schools, eventually graduating fromIowa State Agricultural College (later Iowa State University) and theUniversity of Iowa College of Law in 1874.[1] Ellis set up his law practice inPanora, Iowa, and was elected to one term as mayor of Panora.[1] He moved his practice toHamburg, Iowa, where he served as city attorney and then mayor.[1]
In 1884, Ellis moved toHeppner, Oregon, where he became superintendent of schools forMorrow County, and then district attorney for the seventh judicial district of Oregon from 1886 to 1892.[1] In 1892, Ellis was elected asU.S. Representative forOregon's 2nd congressional district. He was the first representative for the district, which was created as a result of the1890 census.
Ellis served on theWays and Means Committee,[2] and as chairman of theCommittee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice and theCommittee on Irrigation of Arid Lands.[1] He served three terms, and sought a fourth in 1898, but the Republican nominating convention nominatedMalcolm A. Moody instead.[3] Shortly afterwards, Ellis was elected as circuit judge for Oregon's sixth judicial district,[1][3] during which time he moved from Heppner toPendleton.[1]
In 1906, with incumbent congressmanJohn N. Williamson mired in ongoing legal troubles due to theOregon land fraud scandal, Ellis won the Republican nomination for his old Congressional seat, this time in adirect primary, one of the results of the "Oregon System" reforms of the early 20th century.[3] He also won in the general election, and served two more terms before losing the 1910 Republican primary toWalter Lafferty.[1] He returned to his law practice in Pendleton, eventually moving toPortland in 1914, where he died on January 18, 1915.[1]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None (district created by1890 census) | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1899 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's 2nd congressional district March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1849–1859) |
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| At-large seats (1859–1893) |
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| Districts (1893–present) |
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| 6th district | |||||
