Sam R. Sells
Encyclopedia
Sam Riley Sells was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for the 1st congressional district
of Tennessee
.
in Sullivan County. He attended the rural schools and King College in Bristol, Tennessee from 1895 to 1890. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
, and commenced practice in Blountville, Tennessee
. He served as a private
in Company F, Third Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War
. He moved to Johnson City, Tennessee
and engaged in the lumber business.
Sam Sells was a member of the Tennessee Senate
from 1909 to 1911. He was elected as a Republican
to the Sixty-second and to the four succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1921, and was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1920. During the Sixty-sixth Congress, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Pensions.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
in 1912 and 1916. He resumed the lumber business in Johnson City, Tennessee. He also engaged in the manufacturing of shale brick and in numerous other enterprises. He died in Johnson City, Tennessee on November 2, 1935. He was interred
in Oak Hill Cemetery.
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 the 1st congressional district
Tennessee's 1st congressional district
The Tennessee 1st Congressional District is the congressional district of northeast Tennessee, including all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County...
of 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...
.
Biography
He was born on August 2, 1871 in Bristol, TennesseeBristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
in Sullivan County. He attended the rural schools and King College in Bristol, Tennessee from 1895 to 1890. 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...
, and commenced practice in Blountville, Tennessee
Blountville, Tennessee
Blountville is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,074 at the 2010 census...
. He served as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in Company F, Third Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. He moved to Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Carter, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with most of the city being in Washington County...
and engaged in the lumber business.
Sam Sells was a member of 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...
from 1909 to 1911. He was elected as a Republican
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...
to the Sixty-second and to the four succeeding Congresses. He served from March 4, 1911 to March 3, 1921, and was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1920. During the Sixty-sixth Congress, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Pensions.
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...
in 1912 and 1916. He resumed the lumber business in Johnson City, Tennessee. He also engaged in the manufacturing of shale brick and in numerous other enterprises. He died in Johnson City, Tennessee on November 2, 1935. 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 Oak Hill Cemetery.