Samuel McClary Fite
Encyclopedia
Samuel McClary Fite was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for Tennessee
's 4th congressional district
. He was a presidential elector on the Whig
ticket in 1852.
in Smith County. He attended the common and private schools and graduated from Clinton College
in Tennessee. Fite studied law in Lebanon
, was admitted to the bar
, and commenced practice in Carthage, Tennessee
.
By 1850, Samuel Fite was a member of the Tennessee Senate
. In 1852 at the age of 36, Fite was placed on the Whig
ticket as a presidential elector. From 1858 to 1861, Fite was a judge of the sixth judicial district. He resumed the practice of law in Carthage, Tennessee. He was appointed on July 24, 1869 to be the judge of the sixth judicial district to fill a vacancy. Fite later was elected to the same position on January 8, 1870, and he served until 1874.
In 1875, Fite was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John W. Head. He served from March 4, 1875 until his death at Hot Springs
, Arkansas
on October 23, 1875, before the assembling of Congress. Fite was interred
in Carthage Cemetery in Carthage, Tennessee
, then reinterred in Mount Olivet Cemetery
in Nashville, Tennessee
in 1908.
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 4th congressional district
Tennessee's 4th congressional district
The 4th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle and East Tennessee. It is the state's largest district in terms of area, and one of the largest east of the Mississippi River, because of low population density and rural character...
. He was a presidential elector on the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
ticket in 1852.
Biography
Samuel McClary Fite was born on June 12, 1816 near Alexandria, TennesseeAlexandria, Tennessee
Alexandria is a town in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 814 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
in Smith County. He attended the common and private schools and graduated from Clinton College
Clinton College (Tennessee)
Clinton College was a college in New Middleton, Smith County, Tennessee. The original Porter's Hill Academy was formed in 1830 and then reorganized as Clinton College in 1833-4. Its main teacher was Francis Haynes Gordon. The school had failed by February 1842....
in Tennessee. Fite studied law in Lebanon
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, 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 Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage is a town in Smith County, Tennessee, United States, and is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,251 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Smith County, and perhaps best known as the hometown of former Vice President Al Gore, and his father,...
.
By 1850, Samuel Fite 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...
. In 1852 at the age of 36, Fite was placed on the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
ticket as a presidential elector. From 1858 to 1861, Fite was a judge of the sixth judicial district. He resumed the practice of law in Carthage, Tennessee. He was appointed on July 24, 1869 to be the judge of the sixth judicial district to fill a vacancy. Fite later was elected to the same position on January 8, 1870, and he served until 1874.
In 1875, Fite 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-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John W. Head. He served from March 4, 1875 until his death at Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
on October 23, 1875, before the assembling of Congress. Fite 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 Carthage Cemetery in Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage, Tennessee
Carthage is a town in Smith County, Tennessee, United States, and is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,251 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Smith County, and perhaps best known as the hometown of former Vice President Al Gore, and his father,...
, then reinterred in Mount Olivet Cemetery
Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)
Mount Olivet Cemetery is a 250-acre cemetery located in Nashville, Tennessee.Mount Olivet has been continuously operated since its establishment in 1856. It serves as the final resting place for many of Middle Tennessee's political and business leaders, including several former governors of...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1908.