William Andrew Jackson Sparks (November 19, 1828 – May 7, 1904) was a U.S. Representative from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. Born near

New Albany, Indiana New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 37,841 as of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Floyd County. It is bounded by I-265 ...

, Sparks moved with his parents to Illinois in 1836. He attended the public schools and graduated from

McKendree College McKendree University (McK) is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. McKendree enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduates and nearly 700 graduate ...

in 1850. He taught school for a time and studied law. He was

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 1851 and commenced practice in

Carlyle, Illinois Carlyle is a city in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,253 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County. Carlyle is located approximately east of St. Louis, Missouri, and is home to Illinois' largest ...

. United States land receiver for the Edwardsville (Illinois) land office 1853-1856. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1856 and 1857. He served in the State senate in 1863 and 1864. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1868. Sparks was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Interior ( Forty-fifth Congress), Committee on Military Affairs ( Forty-sixth Congress). He did not seek renomination in 1882 and resumed the practice of law. He was appointed by President Cleveland as Commissioner of the United States General Land Office and served from March 26, 1885, to March 26, 1888. He resumed the practice of law at Carlyle and Springfield, Illinois. He died in St. Louis, Missouri, May 7, 1904. He was interred in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, William Andrew Jackson 1828 births 1904 deaths McKendree University alumni General Land Office Commissioners Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Democratic Party Illinois state senators 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Illinois lawyers People from New Albany, Indiana People from Carlyle, Illinois