William James Bryan (October 10, 1876 – March 22, 1908) was an American politician, attorney, and prosecutor who was a Democratic

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

from the American state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. Bryan's stint in the Senate was brief, having been appointed to fill a vacancy the day after Christmas of 1907 — less than three months before his own death at the age of 31.

Biography

Early years

William James Bryan was born in

Fort Mason, Florida Fort Mason is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Florida, United States. Notable people * Nathan Philemon Bryan, U.S. Senator from Florida and United States circuit judge for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for ...

Orange County, Florida Orange County is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,429,908, making it Florida's fifth most populous county. The county seat is Orlando. Orange County is the central count ...

, (now Lake County, Florida) on October 10, 1876. He was the son of a planter named John Milton Bryan and his wife, the former Louise Margaret Norton."William James Bryan,
''National Cyclopedia of American Biography: Volume 14.''
New York: James T. White and Co., 1910; pp. 236-237. Bryan counted one of his great, great grandfathers as an early pioneer from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

to the

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was repre ...

. His grandfather had first moved from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

and his father had become prominent in the politics of the state. Bryan attended public schools, graduating from Osceola High School of Kissimmee, Florida. He studied extensively at home and gained admission to Emory College in

Oxford, Georgia Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,134. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the National Parks-designated Oxford Histori ...

(forerunner of today's Emory University) at the age of 16. Bryan graduated from Emory with a B.A. degree in 1896. Following graduation, Bryan taught school for one year and worked on a plantation for another, all the while studying for law school. Bryan then enrolled in the law department of

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 ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

, from which he graduated in 1899."William James Bryan,
''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present.''
United States Congress, www.bioguide.congress.gov/ Bryan was admitted to the bar later in 1899 and began the practice of law in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...

. Bryan initially opened a partnership but separated from his partner to open his own private office the following year. In 1903 Bryan married Janet G. Allan, the daughter of a staff officer to

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

who had gone on to become a mathematics professor at

. The couple had two children.

Political career

In 1902 Bryan was elected as Duval County solicitor in its Criminal Court of Record. He was re-elected to this office in 1906, remaining in that capacity throughout 1907. Bryan assumed office in May 1903 and took action to ensure the enforcement of the Florida legislature's prohibition against Sunday operation of saloons and oversaw a crackdown against gambling in Jacksonville. Bryan achieved prominence in the Florida Democratic Party during this interval, serving on the party's State Committee and elected as a delegate to the

1904 Democratic National Convention The 1904 Democratic National Convention was an American presidential nominating convention that ran from July 6 through 10 in the Coliseum of the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. Breaking with eight years of control b ...

in St. Louis, Missouri. On December 26, 1907, Bryan was appointed to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Stephen Mallory II Stephen Russell Mallory Jr. (November 2, 1848December 23, 1907) was a U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative from Florida who served as a Democrat. He was the son of U.S. Senator Stephen Russell Mallory. He was born in Columbia, Richland Co ...

. Bryan traveled to Washington, DC to take the seat on January 8, 1908.Taliaferro, "Address of Mr. Taliaferro of Florida," p. 44.

Death and legacy

About a month after his arrival in the nation's capital, Bryan was stricken with

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

, an illness which caused his premature death on March 22, 1908, at the age of 31. Bryan was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in

. Bryan's older brother,

Nathan Philemon Bryan Nathan Philemon Bryan (April 23, 1872 – August 8, 1935) was a United States senator from Florida and a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Education and career Born on April 23, 1872, in Fo ...

(1872–1935), would be elected to the United States Senate in 1910 and served a full term in Washington before becoming a Federal Circuit Court judge."Nathan Philemon Bryan,"
United States Congress, www.bioguide.congress.gov/

Biography

Early years

Political career

Death and legacy

See also

Footnotes

Further reading