John William Flannagan Jr. (February 20, 1885 – April 27, 1955) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He represented

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1931 - 1949. The John W Flannagan Dam is named after him.

Early life and career

Flannagan born on a farm near Trevilians, in Louisa County, Virginia. He earned a law degree from

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

in 1907 and was admitted to the

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the same year. He practiced law for several years, before becoming the

Commonwealth's attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...

for Buchanan County, Virginia in 1916 and 1917. After that, Flanagan continued the practice of law, but also engaged in banking from 1917 to 1930.

Politics and later life

Flannagan was subsequently elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

72nd Congress The 72nd 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 ...

and to the eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1949). He was the chairman of Committee on Agriculture (Seventy-eighth and Seventy-ninth Congresses), and the congressional adviser to the first session of the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

at Quebec in 1945. Flanagan was not a candidate for renomination in 1948, and he resumed the practice of law in Bristol, Virginia until his death there April 27, 1955. He is interred in Mountain View Cemetery.

References

1885 births 1955 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia People from Louisa County, Virginia People from Buchanan County, Virginia People from Bristol, Virginia Washington and Lee University alumni County and city Commonwealth's Attorneys in Virginia 20th-century American lawyers {{Virginia-Representative-stub