John Quincy Underhill was a 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 New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, representing the state's 16th congressional district

New York's 16th congressional district

New York's 16th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in the Bronx. The district includes the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, East Tremont, Fordham, Hunts Point, Melrose, Highbridge, Morrisania, Mott Haven and University Heights. ...

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Born in New Rochelle, New York

New Rochelle, New York

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...

, Underhill attended private and public schools and the College of the City of New York.

He worked in the insurance

Insurance

In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...

 business, joining the Westchester Fire Insurance Co. as a clerk in 1869, and rising to become vice president and treasurer of the company in 1892.

He became village trustee of New Rochelle in 1877, was elected village president in 1878 and was reelected in 1880. He also served as town auditor and was a member of the board of education for several years.

Underhill was elected as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 to the Fifty-sixth

56th United States Congress

-House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones...

 Congress in 1898, in which year he was the only Democrat to be elected from Westchester County

Westchester County, New York

Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...

. He entered Congress on March 4, 1899, and served one term. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1900, retiring from both business and politics when his term ended on March 3, 1901.

He died from heart disease

Heart disease

Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...

 in New Rochelle on May 21, 1907, and was interred in Beechwoods Cemetery

Beechwoods Cemetery (New Rochelle, New York)

Beechwoods Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery located in New Rochelle, New York. The cemetery was incorporated in 1854.-Notable interments:...

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