William J. Sears

For other people named William Sears, seeWilliam Sears (disambiguation).

William Joseph Sears
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida
In office March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1929
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Ruth Bryan Owen
Constituency	4th district
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937
Preceded by	Seat inactive
Succeeded by	Seat inactive
Constituency	At-large
Personal details
Born	(1874-12-04)December 4, 1874 Smithville, Georgia,U.S.
Died	March 30, 1944(1944-03-30)(aged 69) Kissimmee, Florida,U.S.
Resting place	Rose Hill Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Residence(s)	Kissimmee, Florida

William Joseph Sears(December 4, 1874 – March 30, 1944) was a lawyer andU.S. RepresentativefromFlorida.A Democrat, he was an avowed white supremacist.

Early life and education

Born inSmithville, Georgia,Sears moved with his parents toEllaville, Georgia,and thence toKissimmee, Florida,in January 1881. He attended the public schools. He graduated from Florida State College at Lake City in 1895 and fromMercer UniversityinMacon, Georgia,in 1896.

He studied law and wasadmitted to the barin 1905. He commenced his law practice in Kissimmee, and served as its mayor from 1907 to 1911. He was also the superintendent of public instruction of Osceola County 1905-1915.

Congress

Sears was elected as aDemocratto theSixty-fourthand to the six succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1929). He served as chairman of the Committee on Education (Sixty-fifthCongress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1928 and resumed the practice of his legal profession in Kissimmee. He moved toJacksonville, Florida,and continued the practice of law.

Sears was again elected to the U.S. House for theSeventy-thirdandSeventy-fourthCongresses (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937), holding anat-largeseat. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1936, in a newly drawn district.

Later career and death

Sears served as an associate member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals of theVeterans' AdministrationinWashington, D.C.,from 1937 until his retirement in October 1942. He died in Kissimmee on March 30, 1944, and was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery.

References

• United States Congress."William J. Sears (id: S000211)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress