John Jennings
Encyclopedia
John Jennings, Jr. was a Republican
U.S. Representative
from Tennessee
from 1939 to 1951.
on June 6, 1880. He attended public schools and American Temperance University
in Harriman
before graduating from U.S. Grant University in Athens, Tennessee
, in 1906. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1903, and entered the practice of law in Jellico
in his native Campbell County, Tennessee
.
In Campbell County, he served as county superintendent of public instruction
in 1903 and 1904, and county attorney from 1911-1918. In 1918 he became special assistant to the Attorney General of the United States and judge
of the second chancery division of Tennessee. He resigned the judgeship July 1, 1923, and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
, where he continued the practice of law.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
s in 1912, 1936, and 1944.
In 1939 Jennings was elected to Congress as a Republican, filling the vacancy caused by the death of J. Will Taylor
. He took office on December 30, 1939. He was elected to a full term in the 77th Congress and was re-elected to the four succeeding Congresses. In 1950 Howard Baker, Sr.
defeated him in his bid for renomination, so he ended his Congressional service January 3, 1951. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He died in Knoxville on February 27, 1956 and was buried in Highland Memorial Cemetery.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1939 to 1951.
Biography
Jennings was born in JacksboroJacksboro, Tennessee
Jacksboro is a town in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Campbell County.-Geography:Jacksboro is located at...
on June 6, 1880. He attended public schools and American Temperance University
American Temperance University
American Temperance University opened in 1893 in the planned town of Harriman, Tennessee, which was developed as a community with no alcoholic beverages permitted. In its second year of operation the institution enrolled 345 students from 20 states. However, it closed in 1908. Those who attended...
in Harriman
Harriman, Tennessee
Harriman is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, primarily in Roane County, with a small extension into Morgan County. It is the principal city of and is included in the Harriman Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Roane County and is a component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La...
before graduating from U.S. Grant University in Athens, Tennessee
Athens, Tennessee
Athens is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of McMinn County and the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Chattanooga-Cleveland-Athens Combined Statistical Area. The population was 13,220 at the 2000...
, in 1906. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1903, and entered the practice of law in Jellico
Jellico, Tennessee
Jellico is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,448 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jellico is located at . The city is situated amidst the Cumberland Mountains in the Elk Creek Valley, which runs perpendicular to the Tennessee-Kentucky state line...
in his native Campbell County, Tennessee
Campbell County, Tennessee
Campbell County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 40,716. Its county seat is Jacksboro. The Census Bureau has identified the county as a Micropolitan Statistical Area, designated the LaFollette Micropolitan Statistical Area for the largest...
.
In Campbell County, he served as county superintendent of public instruction
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
in 1903 and 1904, and county attorney from 1911-1918. In 1918 he became special assistant to the Attorney General of the United States and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the second chancery division of Tennessee. He resigned the judgeship July 1, 1923, and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where he continued the practice of law.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
s in 1912, 1936, and 1944.
In 1939 Jennings was elected to Congress as a Republican, filling the vacancy caused by the death of J. Will Taylor
J. Will Taylor
James Willis Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee.Born near Lead Mine Bend in Union County, Tennessee, Taylor attended the public schools, Holbrook Normal College, Fountain City, Tennessee, and the American Temperance University, Harriman, Tennessee.He taught school for several years.He...
. He took office on December 30, 1939. He was elected to a full term in the 77th Congress and was re-elected to the four succeeding Congresses. In 1950 Howard Baker, Sr.
Howard Baker, Sr.
Howard Henry Baker, Sr. was a United States Representative from Tennessee. He was a member of the Republican Party.-Biography:Baker was born in Somerset, Kentucky in 1902 to James F...
defeated him in his bid for renomination, so he ended his Congressional service January 3, 1951. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He died in Knoxville on February 27, 1956 and was buried in Highland Memorial Cemetery.