Willa McCord Blake Eslick
Encyclopedia
Willa McCord Blake Eslick (September 8, 1878 - February 18, 1961) was a U.S. Representative
from Tennessee
, wife of Edward Everett Eslick
and the first woman to represent Tennessee in the United States Congress
.
Born in Fayetteville, Tennessee
, Eslick attended private schools, including Dick White College and Milton College in Fayetteville, Tennessee
, as well as Winthrop Model School and Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee
. She also attended the Metropolitan College of Music and Synthetic School of Music in New York City
. She served as a member of the Tennessee state Democratic committee. She was the first women elected to Congress from Tennessee.
Eslick was elected as a Democrat
to the Seventy-second
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death in office of her husband, Representative Edward Eslick. Willa Eslick served as a Representative from August 14, 1932 until March 3, 1933). She was not eligible for reelection to the Seventy-third
Congress, not having qualified for nomination as required by state law.
Willa Eslick died on February 18, 1961, in Pulaski, Tennessee
, and was interred in Maplewood Cemetery.
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...
, wife of Edward Everett Eslick
Edward Everett Eslick
Edward Everett Eslick was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 7th congressional district of Tennessee....
and the first woman to represent Tennessee in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Born in Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
, Eslick attended private schools, including Dick White College and Milton College in Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
, as well as Winthrop Model School and Peabody College 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...
. She also attended the Metropolitan College of Music and Synthetic School of Music in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She served as a member of the Tennessee state Democratic committee. She was the first women elected to Congress from Tennessee.
Eslick 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 Seventy-second
72nd United States Congress
The Seventy-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 to March 4, 1933, during the last two years...
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death in office of her husband, Representative Edward Eslick. Willa Eslick served as a Representative from August 14, 1932 until March 3, 1933). She was not eligible for reelection to the Seventy-third
73rd United States Congress
The Seventy-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1935, during the first two years...
Congress, not having qualified for nomination as required by state law.
Willa Eslick died on February 18, 1961, in Pulaski, Tennessee
Pulaski, Tennessee
Pulaski is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,870 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. It was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski...
, and was interred in Maplewood Cemetery.