John R. Neal
Encyclopedia
John Randolph Neal was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for Tennessee
's 3rd congressional district
.
in Anderson County
. He attended the common schools and Hiwasse College in Monroe County, Tennessee. He graduated from Emory and Henry College
in Emory, Virginia
in 1858. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1859, and commenced practice in Athens, Tennessee
.
During the Civil War
, Neal enlisted in the Confederate Army and was elected captain of a Cavalry troop, which afterward became a part of the 16th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry. He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant colonel
of the battalion. He taught school for several years, settled at Rhea Springs, Tennessee, and continued the practice of law. He was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
in 1874. He served in the Tennessee Senate
in 1878 and 1879, and served as its presiding officer in 1879.
Neal was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1889, but declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1888 on account of ill health. He died at Rhea Springs, Tennessee in Rhea County
on March 16, 1889. He was interred
in the W.F. Brown family cemetery in Post Oak Springs, Roane County, Tennessee.
Neal is the father of law professor and Scopes Trial
attorney, John Randolph Neal, Jr.
(1876–1959).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
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...
for 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...
's 3rd congressional district
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes a north-south strip in the eastern part of the state. Current Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann has served since 2011....
.
Biography
Neal was born on November 26, 1836 near Clinton, TennesseeClinton, Tennessee
Clinton is a city in Anderson County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 9,409 at the United States Census, 2000. It is the county seat of Anderson County. Clinton is included in the "Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area".-Geography:...
in Anderson County
Anderson County, Tennessee
Anderson County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, its population is 75,129. Its county seat is Clinton.It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He attended the common schools and Hiwasse College in Monroe County, Tennessee. He graduated from Emory and Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
in Emory, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1858. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1859, and commenced practice 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...
.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Neal enlisted in the Confederate Army and was elected captain of a Cavalry troop, which afterward became a part of the 16th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry. He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of the battalion. He taught school for several years, settled at Rhea Springs, Tennessee, and continued the practice of law. He was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
in 1874. He served in the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
in 1878 and 1879, and served as its presiding officer in 1879.
Neal 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 Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1889, but declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1888 on account of ill health. He died at Rhea Springs, Tennessee in Rhea County
Rhea County, Tennessee
Rhea County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 28,400. Its county seat is Dayton.-Geography:According to the U.S...
on March 16, 1889. He was interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
in the W.F. Brown family cemetery in Post Oak Springs, Roane County, Tennessee.
Neal is the father of law professor and Scopes Trial
Scopes Trial
The Scopes Trial—formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act which made it unlawful to...
attorney, John Randolph Neal, Jr.
John Randolph Neal, Jr.
John Randolph Neal, Jr. was an American attorney, law professor, politician, and activist, best known for his role as chief counsel during the 1925 Scopes Trial, and as an advocate for the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1920s and 1930s...
(1876–1959).