Morton Boyte Howell (October 2, 1834 – January 23, 1909) was an American Masonic leader, lawyer and politician. He served as the mayor of

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, in 1875–1876.

Early life

Morton Boyte Howell was born on October 2, 1834, in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

, to Mary A. Morton (née Toy) and Robert Boyte Crawford Howell. His father was a Baptist minister. He grew up in

. Howell attended

Union University Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It was estab ...

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...

, and he graduated from the Richmond College in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, in 1851. He graduated from the

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...

in 1856 with a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

. He was then

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in Nashville.

Career

Howell served as clerk and master of Davidson County from 1865 to 1870. He subsequently practised the law privately. One of his clients was the Phillips & Buttorff Manufacturing Company. Howell became a

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...

in 1857. He was the Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of Tennessee in 1874. Howell served as the mayor of Nashville in 1875-1876. He served as the president of the Nashville Board of Education for 15 years. He was a trustee of the

University of Nashville University of Nashville was a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1806 as Cumberland College. It existed as a distinct entity until 1909; operating at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a ...

Personal life and death

Howell married Isabella Elliott of

Hampton, Virginia Hampton is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 137,148 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, seve ...

. She died in 1868. Howell married Elizabeth "Bette" Curd in 1870. He had 10 children. He resided at 1230 2nd Avenue in Nashville. Howell died on January 23, 1909, in Nashville. His funeral was conducted by

Collins Denny Collins Denny (May 28, 1854 – May 12, 1943) was an American clergyman and educator. He was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy at Vanderbilt University from 1891 to 1910. He served as bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South from 1 ...

, and he was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

References

1834 births 1909 deaths Politicians from Norfolk, Virginia University of Richmond alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni American lawyers Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee Burials at Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville) 19th-century mayors of places in Tennessee Union University alumni {{Tennessee-mayor-stub